Cannibal Corpse Guitarist Erik Rutan and Family Lost “90% of Everything” They Own in Hurricanes
Last month we reported that Cannibal Corpse guitarist Erik Rutan was forced to leave the band’s European tour with Municipal Waste, Immolation, and Schizophrenia so that he could return home to be with his family after what was referred to as “catastrophic damage” to Rutan’s home. Well, Rutan gave an update about the damage and, sadly, it seems that “catastrophic damage” was the perfect description.
In a post on Rutan’s Instagram post he wrote:
“We are so grateful for all the love and support that has come our way. The positive words, messages, texts and phone calls have meant so much to us. We feel so blessed to know that so many people care. Hurricane Helene and Milton decimated so many homes and lives and ours was one of them.
“90% of everything we own including personal and family belongings, photos, things that can never be replaced as well as musical and studio gear was either severely damaged or completely destroyed. This experience has been difficult beyond words. Almost 3 weeks ago I left the Cannibal Corpse tour to fly home to be with my Wife, only to see our home and all our belongings in ruin.
“This has been one of the most difficult times of our lives. Right now, we, as well as many are suffering beyond measure. We worked so hard our entire lives to achieve what we have only to see it all taken away in a fleeting moment. I have no idea how we will overcome all of this, but anyone that knows us knows that we will fight our way back through sheer will and determination to hopefully one day reclaim some kind of normalcy.
“As we try to pick up the pieces of our lives, please send all the positive strength and energy you can. I will give further updates when time allows. Eternal Gratitude. RUTAN”
That’s absolutely heartbreaking to hear, but it’s sadly a common story following these two hurricanes. CBS reports that Helene and Milton caused more than $50 billion in damages each, with a lot of the damage—95% of it in the case of Helene—being uninsured. It’s a devastating blow to a lot of people, and we’re sorry to hear that such a cool guy as Rutan ended up being one of those people.
The hopeful part of this story came in the comments on the Instagram post where multiple fans asked if there was a GoFundMe or another fundraising site where they could donate to help Rutan and his family rebuilt. As of now, there doesn’t seem to be any official fundraising page for Rutan, but it seems like a lot of Cannibal Corpse fans are ready to help as soon as they get a chance.
