One SWLA business owner lucky to be alive after Monday’s storms

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) – Citizens of Southwest Louisiana are continuing to share their stories from Monday night’s storms, and one business owner tells us staying late at the office nearly cost him his life.

Imagine it’s closing time at work and you’re getting ready to go home to your family, and all of a sudden, the roof above you is torn off. That’s what Nathaniel Allured endured earlier this week.

Allured is the owner of Grounds Guys Landscaping in Westlake and said he was on the phone with his wife who asked him to get home ahead of the sever weather. This was the moment when a portion of the roof above him flew off from a tornado that swept through Hilma Street.

“The roof was peeled off like a can of sardines right above me, and then the water just came pouring in. It’s something I hope will be just one-time experience, and I’m glad I got to go home to my wife and child. I could’ve easily lost my life in this,” said Allured.

Allured shared his scary experience on Facebook, which attracted hundreds of views and likes. It shows the roof above Allured get ripped away as rain poured in. Allured said the building is now unusable, and they have relocated for the time being.

While the building suffered major damage, Allured said he is grateful nothing worse transpired, and he’s now urging Lake Area residents to head warning signs and take alerts seriously. He wants his experience to be a lesson to take these storms seriously.

“I know a lot of times, we’re desensitized to weather here in SWLA, but please take these storms seriously, listen to alerts and warnings. This could’ve ended very badly for me.”

As residents of SWLA continue to tell us their stories, one thing they all have in common is hope and resilience, even during hard times.

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