USPS Is Suspending Services in These Places "Due to Safety Concerns"
The agency has just closed new post offices in two states.
Sure, your mail is important. But is it worth risking the safety of yourself or someone else? The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) doesn't think so. The agency has often reminded the public that it is committed to keeping both its employees and customers out of harm's way. That means when unsafe conditions arise, the USPS won't shy away from pulling delivery drivers off the road or shutting down its post offices. In fact, the agency is now suspending services in two new places for this exact reason. Read on to find out more about why certain post offices are currently closed for safety concerns.
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The USPS is suspending services in two states.
The Postal Service is no stranger to having to adjust operations at the last minute for various circumstances. But whenever a disruption does arise, the agency tries to warn customers 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," according to the USPS.
The latest alerts indicate that certain postal customers won't find their local post office open right now. On June 21, the USPS updated its website to inform people that facilities have just been shut down in two different states: Oklahoma and Arkansas.
Both post offices were closed for safety concerns.
The first alert on June 21 was issued for some postal customers in Oklahoma. At 10 a.m. EST, the USPS announced that the Mannford Post Office in Mannford, Oklahoma, has been closed to the public.
Then at 6 p.m. EST, the agency added that the Midway Post Office in Midway, Arkansas had also just been shuttered.
"Operations temporarily suspended due to safety concerns," the Postal Service stated in the alerts for both states.
In separate local press releases for both Mannford and Midway, the USPS again gave the same reason for the closures. "We apologize for any inconvenience customers may experience, but the safety of both customers and employees is our highest priority," the agency said in the two releases.
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One was damaged by a storm and the other had a fire.
This past weekend appeared to be a troublesome time for Mannford. The Oklahoma town is located in Creek County, which was hit with severe thunderstorms on June 17 and June 18, local CBS affiliate KOTV reported. The weekend weather was so hazardous that it resulted in two fatalities—one in Creek County and the other in neighboring McCurtain County.
As of June 21, many people in Mannford were still without power, having to clean up the debris and damage, KOTV explained in a separate report. The Mannford Post Office had to close because its building was severely damaged by the storms, the news outlet added.
In a statement to Best Life, USPS spokesperson Becky Hernandez confirmed that this is the reason for the closure. "Mannford had roof damage from a weekend storm," she said. Meanwhile, the Midway Post Office was closed because the facility "had a fire," according to Hernandez.
The USPS has not decided when it will resume operations at these facilities.
Both the Mannford Post Office and the Midway Post Office will remain temporarily closed until further notice from the USPS—as the agency has not made any decisions on when it will resume operations. "No dates yet on re-opening of either facility," Hernandez confirmed to Best Life.
The agency has moved all operations for the two post offices to other facilities in their respective states. During the closures, Mannford customers are being directed to pick up P.O. Box mail and use retail services at the Maramec Post Office, while Midway customers are being asked to do the same at the Mountain Home Post Office.
"P.O. Box customers are reminded to bring proper photo identification for mail and package pickups," the USPS added as a reminder in both releases.
