Most of us expect for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to handle our mailing needs at least six days a week. But there are several factors the USPS needs to consider on a daily basis before sending carriers out for deliveries, or opening up its post offices to customers. Over the past year, the agency has temporarily curbed delivery operations in certain areas as a result of attacks on its employees, and shuttered other facilities for hazardous weather conditions. Now, a new alert from the agency is showing that some suspensions aren't as temporary as we'd like. Read on to find out where the Postal Service has suspended services, according to its latest update.
READ THIS NEXT: USPS Is Getting Rid of This Permanently, as of Jan. 31.
The USPS shuttered over 200 post offices last fall.
ShutterstockThe Postal Service initiated one of its largest suspensions a few months ago. In late Sept. 2022, the agency started halting operations at various post offices throughout Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina amid a major natural disaster.
Hurricane Ian first made landfall on Sept. 28 in Florida before continuing up the East Coast and hitting South Carolina on Sept. 30, according to ABC News.
As a result of the hurricane, the USPS temporarily closed the Sapelo Island Post Office in Georgia, as well as a few facilities in South Carolina. But Florida faced the worst of it: On Sept. 27, more than 200 post offices across the state were shuttered temporarily because of Hurricane Ian.
The Postal Service started reopening some of these Florida facilities as early as Sept. 29, while others resumed service in the following weeks. As it turns out, however, not all of these post offices were reopened.
Service at some of these facilities is still suspended.
iStockThe newest alert from the USPS underlines the challenges still facing some postal customers in Florida. On Jan. 24, the agency updated its Service Alerts website to notify consumers that multiple post offices in the state are "temporarily closed" right now.
"Due to impacts from Hurricane Ian, operations in the following facilities remain temporarily suspended until further notice," the Postal Service said.
According to the alert, a total of eight facilities are still impacted: Auburndale Post Office, Downtown Fort Myers Station, Downtown Naples Station, Everglades City Post Office, Fort Myers Beach Post Office, Nocatee Post Office, Pineland Post Office, and Sanibel Main Post Office.
The USPS is offering alternate options affected customers.
ShutterstockWhile some customers may still be barred from their local post office, the Postal Service isn't leaving them stranded altogether.
In its latest alert, the agency said that an "alternate location for each facility is provided." Mobile Retail Units (MRU) have been set up in the parking lots of the Auburndale Post Office, Everglades City Post Office, and Nocatee Post Office. Meanwhile, customers of the Downtown Fort Myers Station are being directed to the Page Field Post Office, Downtown Naples Station customers to the Naples Main Post Office, and Pine Post Office customers to the Bokeelia Post Office.
A new MRU was also established at the Fort Myers Beach facility, according to a Jan. 19 news release from the USPS. "Starting Monday, Jan. 23, Fort Myers Beach customers can begin picking up their mail at a temporary facility in the parking lot of the Fort Myers Beach Post Office," the agency said. "The temporary Post Office will offer retail services and Post Office Boxes, as well as mail and package pickup."
Prior to this, Fort Myers Beach customers had to travel to the Fort Myers Processing & Distribution Center for their mail services, which is almost an hour-long drive away.
Meanwhile, customers from the Sanibel Main Post Office are still being directed to the MRU at the Fort Myers Processing & Distribution Center, but the Postal Service indicated that this may change soon. "Similar plans are underway for customers on Sanibel Island. More information will be provided upon completion of that work," the USPS said in its press release.
The agency is working to reopen the shuttered post offices.
iStockWhile the Postal Service is working on providing easily accessible alternate locations to customers, the agency still has its sights set on reopening the impacted facilities. "We appreciate the patience of our customers as we continue to recover from Hurricane Ian and restore service as quickly as possible," the USPS said in its Jan. 19 press release.
In fact, the agency just reopened one Florida facility that had been closed since the natural disaster. The Balm Post Office recently welcomed back customers, resuming retail operations and P.O. Box services on Jan. 23, according to a separate local press release.
"The office had been temporarily suspended due to Hurricane Ian," the USPS explained, once again noting that it is continuing its "efforts to restore service as quickly" as it can do in a safe manner.
