The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has faced a lot of backlash over missing mail and delivery delays recently, but sometimes certain situations are out of the agency's control. In just the past few months alone, the Postal Service has been forced to close post offices and curb deliveries in certain places for issues like snow storms and tornados. And now, postal officials are adjusting operations in other areas as well. Read on to find out where exactly the USPS is currently suspending services.
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The USPS is suspending services in two states.
ShutterstockA number of different factors could potentially prevent the Postal Service from conducting its normal operations. But when disruptions do arise, the agency works to keep customers informed through its Service Alerts website. This online tool provides "current, frequently-updated information about whether mail is being delivered to your neighborhood or if your local Post Office is open," the USPS explains.
One of the agency's most recent alerts warned that customers in Florida are dealing with a new service disruption. On April 7, the USPS announced that it has suspended retail window operations at the Fort McCoy Post Office in Florida. But a few days earlier, the agency also suspended operations at a facility in another state. The Wynne Post Office in Arkansas has just been closed as well, according to a local news release from April 3.
The Florida post office has been closed for safety reasons.
ShutterstockThe USPS is responsible for maintaining mail services in a safe manner and will often temporarily close facilities when this is not possible. In fact, "safety concerns" are contributing to the new partial closure of a Florida facility. "In an abundance of caution, and to ensure the safety of both postal customers and employees, the Postal Service is temporarily suspending retail operations at the Fort McCoy Post Office," the agency said in a separate local press release.
When Best Life reached out to the USPS about this closure, a spokesperson declined to elaborate on what exact safety concerns are impacting the Fort McCoy facility.
The Arkansas post office was shuttered after a tornado.
iStockSafety is also playing a part in the recent Arkansas postal suspension. The USPS said it has suspended all operations at the Wynne Post Office "due to power outages from the recent tornado." The National Weather Service (NWS) reported that the town of Wynne—which is located about 90 miles northeast of Little Rock—was "ravaged" by a EF-3 tornado on March 31, according to local news outlet KAIT. Meteorologists for the NWS said the tornado had a maximum width of 1,600 yards and peak winds of 150 miles per hour.
Best Life has reached out to the Postal Service to get more information on this closure, and we will update this story with their response. "We apologize for any inconvenience customers may experience, but the safety of both customers and employees is our highest priority," the USPS said in its news release.
There is no information on when these facilities may reopen.
iStockCustomers could be dealing with these disruptions for the foreseeable future. The USPS said that people can still pick up their P.O. Box mail at the back door of the Fort McCoy Post Office, but retail operations will be suspended at the facility "until further notice." During this suspension, Fort McCoy customers can obtain retail services at either the nearby Orange Springs Post Office or Citra Post Office. "The Postal Service will provide additional information when normal operations resume," the agency said in its news release.
As for the Wynne Post Office, the USPS has offered no information on how long this facility is expected to be closed. But the agency said residents can still pick up their mail in the lobby of this post office at certain times during the suspension. "Residents are reminded to bring proper photo identification for mail and package pickups," the Postal Service added in its news release.
