Surviving the Collapse: One Woman’s Journey to Healing and Rebuilding After a Tragic Accident

On a typical Saturday night at Raina’s Sports Lounge in downtown Sulphur, the walls of the bar suddenly began to collapse, trapping everyone inside. The owner, Raina Valkoun, was buried under five feet of debris and feared for her life as well as the lives of her customers. Over a dozen people were in the bar when it started to collapse, including Valkoun herself.

It took 45 minutes for first responders to rescue everyone from the rubble. Sadly, one long-time friend and customer did not make it out alive. Despite this tragic event, Valkoun expressed her gratitude for surviving and being able to witness others who also survived the storm. She is now dealing with grief over the loss of both her business and friend while remaining thankful for being alive.

According to state officials, approximately 30 injuries were reported from the storm, with about half of those occurring at Raina’s bar. The impact of the storm on Valkoun and her community has been profound, leaving them to cope with loss while being grateful for the gift of life.

Raina recounted her experience as a harrowing one where she felt uncertain about her fate and that of her customers. She is now focused on healing and rebuilding both physically and mentally after this traumatic incident.

The community is coming together to support each other through this difficult time, including Valkoun who remains determined to keep her bar open once it has been rebuilt. Despite everything that happened that night at Raina’s Sports Lounge, hope remains that they will be able to move forward together into a brighter future.