The Huge Raccoon That Crashed Through The Ceiling Of An East Texas Courthouse Inflicted Significant Structural Damages

Raccoons are capable of causing a significant degree of property damage. Unfortunately, plenty of Americans can attest to this fact, as raccoons are one of the most common wildlife culprits behind a variety of different types of structural damage. In fact, raccoons often cause serious property damage by doing nothing more than crawling around, as raccoons are heavier than most people would assume. For example, raccoons often find their way into people’s attics where they can damage, destroy or reduce the efficacy of a home’s insulation simply by walking over the material. Some raccoons are heavy enough to fall through the structurally weak floor of an attic. You can imagine a homeowner’s surprise upon finding that a raccoon has fallen through a ceiling and onto a dinner table, or directly in the middle of the living room floor during family movie night. Such instances are usually terrifying for a home’s occupants, as Panola County Election Administrator, Cheyenne Lampley and her coworker, Belinda Curry, know all too well. Lampley was about to leave her workplace at the Panola County Courthouse Annex in Texas when she heard her colleague, Curry, scream in terror. As it turned out, Curry’s scream was a reaction to a massive 50 pound raccoon that fell through the courthouse ceiling.

Lampley was naturally concerned for her coworker, as she knows Curry as a tough and fearless woman. When Lampley opened her office door and looked down the hallway to see what was going on, she saw a “humongous” raccoon running toward her. Naturally, Lampley slammed her door closed before peering out of her office window only to see the raccoon making an effort to leave the building through the front door. Lampley then saw Curry’s arm reach toward the door knob to let the raccoon out of the building. Once the raccoon made it outside, the two coworkers breathed a sigh of relief. However, upon returning to work the next day, the two found the courthouse trashed and damaged in a variety of locations. Apparently, there was more than one raccoon in the building, but the two were not sure how the animals could have gained access to the building. No raccoons were found in the building and authorities began searching for the mammalian vandals, as their behavior suggested that they may have been infected with rabies. So far, no raccoons have been apprehended.

Have you ever found any type of wild animal within your attic?