As storms descended upon downtown Sulphur, local business owner Raina Valkoun was forced to fight for her life and the lives of her customers at her bar, Raina’s Sports Lounge. The walls of the lounge began to crumble around them, trapping more than a dozen people inside.
Valkoun was buried under five feet of debris as the building collapsed. She remained pinned for 45 minutes until first responders were able to rescue everyone, but one of her longtime friends and customers did not make it out alive. Despite the heartbreak of losing a friend and her beloved bar, Raina is grateful for another day of life.
As she surveyed the damage and witnessed the resilience of those in her community, Raina felt a sense of gratitude for the lives that were spared. She acknowledged that around 30 people were injured and approximately half of them were present at her bar during the incident. However, she remained optimistic about rebuilding and continuing to serve her community in the future.