Getting to the post office can already be a frustrating errand, as many facilities are closed on the weekends and not open late on weeknights. But what if your local post office was closed completely? The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) can suspend services for any of its facilities at a moment's notice when unusual circumstances arise, like safety issues or severe weather. Now, some customers are learning that the hard way. Effective immediately, the USPS is closing 20 post offices. Read on to find out more about the latest postal closures.
READ THIS NEXT: USPS Is Making Even More Changes to Your Mail.
The Postal Service just closed 20 post offices.
The latest service alert from the USPS indicates that customers in two states are dealing with new postal disruptions.
According to the Jan. 31 update, there are 14 facilities that are now "temporarily closed" across Arkansas. The impacted locations include post offices in major cities like Little Rock and Jonesboro.
The same day, the Postal Service also suspended operations at several facilities in Texas. The agency reported on Jan. 31 that it had just "temporarily closed" six post offices in six different towns throughout the state: Doole, Forsan, Knott, Lohn, Ackerly, and San Angelo.
All of these facilities were shut down for the same reason.
The USPS has suspended services at all 20 of the post offices across Arkansas and Texas for the same reason: bad weather.
"Effective immediately," the facilities in both states are closed on a temporary basis "due to current weather conditions," the agency confirmed in separate local news releases.
"We apologize for any inconvenience that may be experienced, but the safety of both customers and employees is our highest priority," the Postal Service said.
Ice storm warnings are currently in effect across Arkansas and Texas, as the two states have been battling Winter Storm Mara since Jan. 30, according to the Weather Channel. But both are still awaiting the storm's last wave, where a "high chance of additional ice accumulating at least 0.10 inch thick" is expected to hit the states through Feb. 2.
"The final bout of freezing rain and sleet from a significant ice storm will contribute to more dangerous travel, power outages, and tree damage from Texas to Arkansas," the Weather Channel explained.
The USPS had initially closed more locations in Texas.
These are not the only facilities that have been impacted by Winter Storm Mara. The Postal Service initially closed 50 Texas post offices in total on Jan. 31 amid the icy weather. Midday on Feb. 1, however, the agency updated its Service Alerts website to inform customers that 44 of the facilities had just been reopened.
All of these post offices already welcoming back customers are located in North Texas in the cities of Arlington, Dallas, Forth Worth, and Plano. The six facilities still closed are in the Western part of the state.
"At this time, retail operations remain open in North Texas," the Postal Service confirmed in a local news release for the state posted Feb. 1. "In some locations, hours of operation may be modified, depending on staffing levels and other conditions."
Meanwhile, delivery services across Texas are currently "continuing as normal," according to the Feb. 1 update. "Letter carriers will make every effort to deliver their routes if it is safe to do so," the Postal Service explained. "We are continuing to track this week’s winter storm and taking all available actions necessary to maintain both safety and service."
But post offices don't always reopen quickly after weather-related closures.
This winter has seen its fair share of temporary closures due to weather. The Postal Service suspended services at over 100 facilities throughout Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin in December because of a massive snow storm. And last month, 115 post offices across Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota were temporarily closed for a winter storm.
All of these facilities have already resumed normal operations, as the Postal Service tries to restore service to post offices impacted by bad weather as quickly as possible. But that's not always possible.
In late September, the USPS temporarily shuttered more than 200 post offices across the state of Florida in advance of Hurricane Ian. Some of those facilities resumed service that same month, but others remain closed four months later.
As of Jan. 24, there are eight Florida post offices still closed "due to impacts from Hurricane Ian," the Postal Service confirmed. "We appreciate the patience of our customers as we continue to recover from Hurricane Ian and restore service as quickly as possible."
