Raina Valkoun, a local business owner in Sulphur, found herself fighting for her life and the lives of her customers during a storm that hit downtown on a typical Saturday night. As she sat back and enjoyed a drink with her regulars, the building walls suddenly began to collapse around them. With more than a dozen people inside, Valkoun was buried under five feet of debris.
Trapped for 45 minutes, she expressed hope that everyone would make it out alive. Unfortunately, one of her long-time friends and customers did not survive. Raina recounted the moments of uncertainty and fear as she lay trapped, unsure if she would make it out alive.
Despite the devastating loss of her friend and her business, Raina is grateful to be alive. She expressed gratitude for surviving and witnessing the resilience of the community in the face of such destruction. State officials reported around 30 injuries from the storm, with about half of those occurring at Raina’s Sports Lounge. The incident has left an impact on Raina and her patrons, but they are thankful for the safety of those who survived.