Most people in the U.S. believe that "neither snow nor rain nor heat" will keep U.S. Postal Service (USPS) carriers from delivering their mail. Unfortunately, that is not the actual motto for the USPS—and it's not necessarily true either. The agency can and will alter operations when deemed necessary, whether that involves suspending delivery to specific areas or temporarily closing certain postal facilities. In fact, a number of people throughout the country are currently battling service disruptions with their mail, and a new area has just been added to the list. Read on to find out where the USPS is suspending services now.
READ THIS NEXT: USPS Says You Can't Do This With Your Mail After Nov. 5.
The USPS has been providing service alerts for nearly a decade.
iStockFor almost a decade now, the Postal Service's consumers have been able to easily check online for current mail disruptions in their area. In 2013, the USPS created its Service Alerts page, which was born out of a transformation of its Mail Service Updates site. According to the agency, these alerts provide "customers with near real-time information about postal facility service disruptions due to weather-related issues and other natural disasters or events." The page is now organized to provide "more complete, timely information" on various mail issues.
"Feedback from residential customers and business mailers following natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy prompted us to take a close look at Mail Service Updates," USPS Consumer Advocate Krista Finazzo said in a 2013 statement. "We wanted more effective communication with our customers during service interruptions. Now, residential consumers and business mailers have an easy, online location to learn the operating status of Post Office and mail processing facilities."
With that in mind, residents in one part of the U.S. are able to see the latest about a new USPS disruption.
The Postal Service just suspended operations in one area.
ShutterstockThe latest update to the USPS Service Alerts page was made on Oct. 26, when the agency announced that a post office in Birmingham, Alabama, is now temporarily closed. According to the alert, the Postal Service has halted "all operations" at the Bluff Park Finance Branch facility for the time being.
"All operations have been moved to Birmingham Hoover Station," the USPS wrote. "PO Box customers can retrieve their mail at the retail counter of Birmingham Hoover Station."
The agency said this decision was made amid safety concerns.
iStockAccording to a separate news release issued on Oct. 26, the Postal Service said it has suspended operations at the Bluff Park Post Office "in an abundance of caution." The release went on to explain that a "safety concern" was impacting the facility but did not elaborate on what the exact issue is. Local news channel ABC 33/40 reported that the USPS confirmed the concern involves structural issues at the location, however.
"The U.S. Postal Service’s priority is the safety and well-being of its employees and customers," the agency wrote in its release. "Postal officials are working to resolve this safety issue and will be providing an update to customers once a thorough assessment has been completed."
But that's not the only post office currently closed right now.
iStockDespite being the newest, the Bluff Park Finance Branch is hardly the only USPS post office closed right now. Certain customers in New York and Ohio are also having to work around local facility closures that were initiated this month due to similar "safety concerns." The Stanley Post Office in New York is not servicing the public at this time because of "unforeseen roof repairs," while the Pemberton Post Office in Ohio is closed after sustaining damage from a recent fire that broke out at the facility.
Meanwhile, a facility in Grandview, Iowa, is closed right now as the result of another fire, and retail operations at the post office in Mosinee, Wisconsin, are suspended because the building's lobby is dealing with structural damage caused by impact from a vehicle. Several facilities in Florida are also still experiencing temporarily suspended operations due to Hurricane Ian, which hit the state nearly a month ago on Sept. 28.
