If you've seen postal carriers outside delivering mail in the extreme summer heat, you might assume that they can do their jobs in any conditions. But when the weather gets too dangerous, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will actually pull workers from their routes and suspend operations. In fact, this past winter we saw the USPS temporarily close hundreds of post offices across the country amid snowstorms and blizzards. Now, summer storms are pushing the agency to pull back in more places across the country. Read on to discover where the USPS is currently suspending services.
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The USPS just closed 60 post offices in Florida.
iStockA major natural disaster is currently causing widespread postal disruptions in the Sunshine State. In a new warning on its website, the Postal Service announced that several post offices in Florida are now closed due to Hurricane Idalia. "A destructive Hurricane Idalia made landfall along the west coast of Florida," the agency stated. "There are impacts to USPS operations in areas affected by the powerful storm. Please refer to our residential service alerts webpage for current status. Our top priority is the safety of our customers and employees."
In an Aug. 29 update to its Service Alerts, the USPS indicated that the approaching storm had prompted them to suspend operations at just 10 facilities in the state. Then on Aug. 30, the agency added 50 more post offices to the list. That makes a total of 60 facilities closed in Florida right now, including in Clearwater, Saint Petersburg, Horeshoe Beach, and Largo.
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Deliveries have also been suspended in many parts of the state.
iStockHurricane Idalia first hit the Big Bend of Florida's Gulf Coast on the morning of Aug. 30, CNN reported. The storm made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane, shutting down bridges, prompting evacuations, and knocking the power out across nearly 270,000 homes and businesses in the state. Small island cities such as Cedar Key (which has had its post office closed by the USPS) have already been overwhelmed by the hurricane. "We’re effectively cut off from the world now," Cedar Key resident Michael Bobbitt told CNN.
As a result, the Postal Service has not only suspended retail operations at those 60 post offices in Florida. In two separate local press releases, the USPS warned residents in these areas that delivery operations have also been halted. This will remain in effect "until further notice," according to the agency.
"The Postal Service appreciates its customers and their understanding as we temporarily adjust operations due to inclement weather," the USPS stated in one of the releases. "We will continue to monitor weather conditions and will restore service when it is safe to do so."
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The Postal Service has also suspended services at a facility in Ohio.
iStockBad weather hasn't just brought postal closures to Florida, however. In an Aug. 28 update to its Service Alerts website, the USPS announced that it had suspended all retail operations at the Beachwood Post Office in Ohio. The suspension is "due to a power outage," the agency stated.
More than 310,000 customers in northeast Ohio lost power due to storms that hit the area on the night of Aug. 24, according to an alert on the City of Beachwood's official website. But as of Aug. 28, at least 10,000 customers were still without power.
Best Life has reached out to the USPS to find out when retail operations will resume at the Beachwood Post Office, and we will update this story with their response. The agency has told customers that they may find service at two nearby retail locations: Shaker Heights Post Office and Cranwood Post Office.
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An office in West Virginia is currently shut down.
iStockThe USPS issued another Service Alert on Aug. 29 to inform residents of Winifrede, West Virginia about a new service suspension in the area. According to the agency's alert, the Winifrede Post Office has been "temporarily closed due to safety concerns."
Best Life has reached out to the Postal Service to get more detail on the stated concerns, and we will update this story with their response. But similar to what's affecting Florida and Ohio, it appears that hazardous storms have also played a part in this closure.
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justicedeclared a state of emergency on Aug. 28 for several counties—including Kanawha County, where Winifrede is located. The order was issued after heavy rainfall over the weekend started to cause flash floods in the area, USA Today reported. As a result, the USPS has moved all operations from the Winifrede Post Office to the Marmet Post Office in Charleston, West Virginia.
