Most of us check our mailbox every day, whether we're waiting for something or just out of habit. When it's empty, we often assume there was no mail for us that day or that there's been a delivery delay—both of which happen often enough. But the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) can also suspend service completely when it's necessary to do so. The USPS is allowed to adjust its operations for different reasons, and it's not just your delivery that could be curtailed. Post offices can also be temporarily closed by the agency, which is what certain customers will be finding out in the coming days. Read on to discover where the USPS is suspending services starting Saturday.
READ THIS NEXT: USPS Is Suspending Services Here Permanently, as of Feb. 28.
The Postal Service has temporarily closed several post offices recently.
iStockThe USPS keeps most of its post offices throughout the U.S. open five days a week, although select locations offer Saturday and even Sunday service, too. But certain customers can't access their facility any day of the week right now. In just the past few months, the USPS has suspended services at several post offices around the country for various reasons, and residents of those areas are still without their local facilities.
Back in August, the Roscommon Post Office in Michigan was temporarily shuttered due to structural issues. Then in September and October, the Postal Service closed several facilities temporarily for dangerous hazards like fires and flooding, including post offices in Providence, Rhode Island; Grandview, Iowa; and Pemberton, Ohio.
Now, the USPS is closing yet another facility soon.
The agency is suspending services in another area this week.
ShutterstockIn order to keep customers up-to-date on disruptions for their deliveries or post offices, the USPS provides constant updates through its Service Alerts tool. The most recent alert was posted on Nov. 16, with the Postal Service informing customers about an issue impacting a facility in Louisiana.
According to the update, the USPS is planning to temporarily suspend service at the Wisner Post Office, starting Nov. 19. "All operations will be moved to Sicily Island Post Office," the agency said.
The Wisner Post Office is being closed because of safety concerns.
ShutterstockA separate local news release issued by the USPS on Nov. 16 revealed more about the upcoming closure. According to the announcement, the post office in Wisner is halting retail and delivery service for customers "due to safety concerns." The Postal Service did not reveal what the exact issue is, but the agency did note that repairs needed to be made to the Wisner Post Office.
"Until repairs can be made to the postal facility, Wisner customers can pick up their Post Office Box mail, retrieve packages and obtain retail services at the Sicily Island Post Office," the USPS said, adding that the suspension will remain in place "until further notice" without giving any definitive timeline. "We apologize for this inconvenience to our customers and hope to have the office fully functional again as soon as possible."
Temporarily closed USPS facilities don't always reopen.
ShutterstockAccording to Steve Hutkins, PhD, a retired English professor from New York who created the popular website SavethePostOffice.com, the Postal Service has one of two options after initiating a temporary post office closure: The agency can reopen the facility after fixing the problem that led to the suspension, or it can decide to shutter it permanently. As it turns out, many post offices opt to remain closed.
Back in May, the USPS shared a list of 170 "temporarily" closed post offices that the agency has since decided not to reopen.
"When an emergency suspension first take place, whether it’s due to a problem renewing the lease (the most common cause), unsafe conditions or damage to the building, the Postal Service almost always reassures the community that the closure is only 'temporary,'" Hutkins wrote. Clearly, that's not always the case—though the fate of the Wisner Post Office remains unclear.
