We count on having consistent access to mail services without interruption, but we know that's not always the case. Aside from expected delays, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) also reserves the right to suspend deliveries or close post offices until they can safely resume operations. Over the past couple weeks, the Postal Service has been doing more reopening than closing—like in Davenport, Iowa, where a post office had been temporarily closed due to flood waters. But now, new postal disruptions are popping up again. Read on to find out where the USPS is suspending services.
READ THIS NEXT: USPS Is Making More Changes to Your Mail, Starting June 13.
The USPS is closing a post office in Colorado.
ShutterstockThe USPS tries not to leave customers in the dark when their mail service is affected. Through the online Service Alerts website, you can find "current, frequently-updated information about whether mail is being delivered to your neighborhood or if your local Post Office is open," the agency states. At the moment, certain Colorado residents are facing a disruption.
In a May 11 alert, the Postal Service announced that it had temporarily closed a post office in Franktown, Colorado. "During this closure, customers’ mail will be available and retail services offered at the Elizabeth Post Office," the agency added. The two facilities are roughly 10 miles apart.
Best Life reached out to USPS to see if there's a timeline for the reopening of this post office, but has not yet heard back.
The Colorado facility is shut down due to winter storms.
iStockHazardous weather in this part of Colorado is impacting the Postal Service's operations. In its alert, the USPS said that the Franktown Post Office is "temporarily closed due to winter storms." Located in the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood Metro Area, Franktown and neighboring cities have been battling some severe conditions this week, Fox Weather reported.
According to the news outlet, Franktown was hit with a heavy amount of hail on May 10 amid a number of tornado warnings. The National Weather Service (NWS) reports that the town is currently under a flood advisory as well, as heavy rain has started to cause minor flooding in "low-lying and poor drainage areas" near certain creeks.
"Stay away or be swept away," the NWS stated in its alert. "River banks and culverts can become unstable and unsafe."
Mail delivery has been suspended for some Missouri residents.
ShutterstockIt's not just post office closures happening right now. The USPS has also suspended mail delivery for some residents in Springfield, Missouri, local news outlet KY3 reported on May 10.
According to the news outlet, a street on South Market Avenue is without regular service due to an animal incident. Witnesses said that a mail carrier had an encounter with a dog in the neighborhood named Biscuit, which involved the carrier pepper-spraying the canine.
Biscuit's owner confirmed to the KY3 that he was notified about the incident. Best Life reached out to the USPS to find out more about the suspension, and we will update this story with their response.
Customers have expressed frustration with this service suspension.
ShutterstockThe Postal Service has long warned that animals are a serious concern for the agency, reporting that more than 5,400 postal employees were attacked by dogs in the U.S. in 2021.
"Delivery service may be temporarily withdrawn when animals interfere with our ability to complete mail delivery," the USPS notes on its website. "Loose dogs can affect mail delivery for multiple addresses and an entire neighborhood."
But neighbors on South Market Avenue have expressed frustration over the suspension.
"It’s causing a problem because I had two bills that were behind, and I didn’t know it because I was waiting for the letters to come in the mail," resident Stepvon Jackson told KY3.
Others claim that the mail carrier overreacted, saying that Biscuit is a friendly dog and not a threat. "Somebody obviously doesn’t know Biscuit," neighbor David Patrick told the outlet.
When asked about the suspension and the subsequent complaints from those in the neighborhood, USPS spokesperson Mark Inglett reiterated the agency's policies. "Basically, our protocol is this: If a dog is loose and there’s any risk of a dog bite or injury, we notify the owner," he told KY3.
