Surviving the Storm: A Bar Owner’s Tale of Courage and Tragedy

As a storm ravaged downtown Sulphur, one local business owner found herself in a desperate battle for survival. Raina Valkoun, the owner of Raina’s Sports Lounge, described a typical Saturday night at her bar with many familiar faces. But then disaster struck when 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. Reflecting on the harrowing experience, Raina expressed her hopes that her friend had passed quickly without fear.

Despite the heartbreak of losing a friend and her beloved bar, Raina is grateful for another day of life. She acknowledged the devastation caused by the storm, with around 30 people injured and approximately half of them present at her bar during the incident. 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.