The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is no stranger to pulling back deliveries or closing post offices when necessary. But while there are many circumstances that can create service disruptions, the most common are weather-related. Severe snowstorms, hurricanes, and wildfires have prompted the closure of several post offices over the past year. Now, hazardous conditions are forcing the USPS to once again shutter more facilities across the country. Read on to discover where the agency is suspending services.
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The USPS just closed a post office in Michigan.
iStockCertain Michigan postal customers can no longer access their local post office. In an Aug. 25 update to its Service Alerts website, the USPS announced that it had suspended all operations at a facility in Potterville, Michigan. The Potterville Post Office is "temporarily closed due to power outage and safety concerns," the agency stated in its alert.
In a separate local press release, the Postal Service explained that the safety issues had been caused by storm damage, and that the temporary closure was enacted "to ensure the safety of both postal customers and employees" at the Potterville Post Office.
"Customers can retrieve their PO Box mail at the Lansing Post Office during regular retail hours," the USPS added. "The Postal Service apologizes for any inconvenience the temporary closure may cause our customers."
Operations were also limited at other facilities in the state.
ShutterstockThe Potterville Post Office in Michigan isn't the only facility affected by recent severe weather. Since Aug. 25, the USPS has also been limiting retail operations at 11 other post offices: Webberville, Williamston, Dimondale, Cohoctah, Cannonsburg, Grand Ledge, Lansing, Fowler, Saranac, Dansville, and Clarksville.
These suspensions came after at least seven tornadoes struck Michigan at the end of last week during a barrage of severe storms, the Associated Press reported. According to the news outlet, the strong winds killed five people, knocked down countless tress, tore roofs off of buildings, and left hundreds of thousands of customers without power.
When Best Life reached out to the USPS to find out more about the service suspensions, spokesperson Elizabeth Najduch said that power and retail operations had just been restored at the 11 impacted post offices.
The Potterville Post Office is still closed to customers, but is expected to "resume normal retail operations Aug. 29," according to Najduch.
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The agency also just closed a facility in California.
ShutterstockOutside of Michigan, postal customers in California are also dealing with service disruptions. In a local press release from Aug. 25, the USPS revealed that it had shuttered the Ygnacio Valley Post Office in Walnut Creek, California. The facility is "temporarily close due to structural damage," according to the release.
When Best Life reached out to the Postal Service to find out more about the damage, spokesperson Meiko Patton said that the agency has no additional information to add at this time.
"We will re-open as soon as it is safe to do so," Patton said.
During the closure, the USPS is directing Ygnacio Valley Post Office customers to the Walnut Creek Main Post Office in order to retrieve their P.O. Box mail.
"We apologize for this inconvenience to our customers," the agency said in its release.
Another post office in the state was shuttered a few days prior.
ShutterstockOther parts of California have faced recent closures as well. A few days earlier on Aug. 22, the USPS announced that it had shuttered a facility in Los Angeles. The La Tijera Post Office is "temporarily closed for emergency repairs," according to the agency's Service Alerts update.
In a separate Aug. 24 local press release, the Postal Service revealed that the post office had been damaged from storm waters.
"A water incursion from the recent storm damaged the La Tijera facility," the agency stated. "Out of an abundance of caution, the building cannot be occupied during repairs."
Operations have been temporarily relocated to the Hawthorne Post Office during this closure.
"We apologize for this inconvenience," the USPS said in its release. "This is only a temporary measure, and we will reopen the Post Office as soon as the repairs are made, and it is safe."
