Miraculous Rescue Saves One from certain Death in Downtown Sulphur Storm

As the storm raged through downtown Sulphur, local business owner Raina Valkoun was faced with a life or death situation. With dozens of customers inside her sports lounge, she found herself trapped under five feet of debris. Despite her fears and uncertainty, she held on to hope that everyone would make it out alive.

After being trapped for 45 minutes, first responders were able to rescue everyone except one of Valkoun’s long-time friends and customers. She expressed her gratitude for their bravery and quick thinking, but also mourned the loss of her friend and the damage to her business.

Raina is grateful to be alive and witnessing the resilience of her 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.