USPS Is Suspending “All Operations” in These Places, Effective Immediately

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The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) operates on a massive scale, running thousands of post offices and delivering mail for millions. But over the last year, we’ve seen the agency suspend operations on a smaller scale over and over again. For instance, a neighborhood in Iowa got its delivery services pulled last July after a postal worker was attacked by two dogs in the area. And just this month, a post office in Bullard, Texas, was closed temporarily after a vehicle crashed into the building. Now, the Postal Service is stopping services in even more places. Read on to find out where the agency is suspending operations currently.

READ THIS NEXT: USPS Is Getting Rid of This Permanently, as of Jan. 31 .

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No one wants to show up to their post office just for it to be unexpectedly closed or find out their mail hasn’t been delivered with no explanation.

With that in mind, the Postal Service has made it a priority to notify customers when it has to change its operations in certain areas. Krista Finazzo , the current vice president of retail and delivery operations for the USPS, revealed in 2013 that the agency created its Service Alerts website for this exact reason, after receiving feedback from customers who dealt with service disruptions during Hurricane Sandy.

“We wanted more effective communication with our customers during service interruptions,” she explained. “Now, residential consumers and business mailers have an easy, online location to learn the operating status of Post Office and mail processing facilities.”

And those who use the Service Alerts tool today will see some new additions to the list.

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The newest update to the Service Alerts webpage arrived on Jan. 25. According to the latest alert, the agency is facing multiple service disruptions in Texas. Here, both the Deer Park Main Post Office in Deer Park and the Delbert L. Atkinson Station in Pasadena were just closed to customers.

“All operations are temporarily suspended,” the Postal Service said in regards to both post offices.

Everything at the Deer Park facility, including PO Box services, has been moved to the La Porte Post Office, according to the agency. For the Delbert L. Atkinson Station, they have been moved to the Pasadena Main Post Office.

The USPS said customers affected by these two closures can also obtain retail services at three other facilities nearby: the Genoa Station, the South Houston Post Office, or the John Foster Post Office. Genoa Station is also located in Houston, while the John Foster facility is located in Pasadena.

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The Postal Service provided more information on its decision to temporarily suspend operations at the Deer Park Post Office and the Delbert L. Atkinson Station in two separate news releases posted Jan. 25. According to the agency, both facilities are facing the same issue: weather damage. The two post offices have been temporarily closed “for repairs caused by a recent storm,” the USPS explained.

“The destruction is equal to what you might see in a hurricane, only not nearly as widespread,” Colby Gravatt , director of electric operations for CenterPoint Energy, told the news outlet. “The wind that came with this tornado is something that we haven’t seen in probably a really long time. I don’t know the last time we had a named tornado or a tornado that was deemed with such impact to our territory.”

KTRK confirmed that the damage from the severe weather is what prompted the closure of both post offices. “We apologize for any inconvenience customers may experience, but the safety of both customers and employees is our highest priority,” the Postal Service said in its news releases.

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The two Texas post offices are among several others dealing with ongoing suspensions.

In Florida, eight post offices are still temporarily closed “ due to impacts from Hurricane Ian ,” which hit the U.S. back in September. And over in California, operations at at least two facilities are still suspended because of winter storms this month.

The USPS has also temporarily suspended all operations at one post office in Alabama and another in Tennessee over the last two months. In late December, the agency temporarily closed the Kingsport Main Post Office in Kingsport, Tennessee, “due to a sprinkler water main break.” Services will be suspended here “until further notice,” according to the USPS.

Following this, the Postal Service temporarily closed a facility in Jack, Alabama, on Jan. 13 for reasons similar to the recent Texas closures. The Jack Post Office “sustained structural damage due to recent tornadic activity,” the USPS explained. “Postal officials will provide an update to customers once a thorough assessment has been completed.”

USPS Just Raised Prices Again—And It’s Already Planning the Next Price Hike

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It seems like we’re having to pay more for everything these days—and that includes our mail. The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has been struggling financially for years now. To change course, the agency unveiled its Delivering for America (DFA) initiative in 2021 with the goal of reaching financial sustainability again within the next 10 years. And unfortunately for us, part of the plan includes price hikes for customers. The USPS just raised its prices on Jan. 22—and it’s already planning the next price hike. Read on to find out what you should be prepared for.

READ THIS NEXT: USPS Is Getting Rid of This Permanently, as of Jan. 31 .

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Just two months after introducing its DFA plan, the USPS had already announced plans to raise prices. In May 2021, the agency said that it had filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) to “raise overall Market Dominant product and service prices by approximately 6.9 percent” later that year. The PRC approved the price hike, and it kicked in officially on Aug. 29, 2021.

Since then, customers have seen mailing costs climb again and again. In July 2022, the Postal Service raised its First-Class Mail prices by approximately 6.5 percent. Then just a few months later, the agency increased prices yet again: On Oct. 2, “a temporary price adjustment for key package products for the 2022 peak holiday season” went into effect. “This temporary rate adjustment is similar to ones in past years that help cover extra handling costs to ensure a successful peak season,” the USPS explained.

Now, however, the agency is back to more permanent price hikes.

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The temporary price hike for the 2022 holiday season expired on Jan. 22, but it coincided with a more permanent change. Back in October, the Postal Service announced that it had filed plans with the PRC for “new prices for 2023.” The commission approved the new rates , which went into effect on Jan. 22 and increased First-Class Mail prices by approximately 4.2 percent.

The USPS also raised prices for P.O. Box rentals and shipping services that same day. “As operating expenses continue to rise, these price adjustments provide the Postal Service with much needed revenue to achieve the financial stability sought by its Delivering for America 10-year plan,” the agency said.

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With the newest price increase, customers are now paying three to five cents more for mailing essentials like postcards, letters, and First-Class Forever stamps. And that’s likely not the last time we’ll see price hikes this year. Instead, officials say that customers should expect another increase this summer.

“The Postal Service expects that, in each subsequent year, it will implement price changes for all Market Dominant classes in January and July of such year,” the PRC said, per USA Today .

The USPS confirmed this timeline for price hikes in a Sept. 2021 press release. “Beginning Jan. 2023, Market Dominant price adjustments will occur twice a year, (e.g. Jan. 2023, July 2023, Jan. 2024, July 2024, etc.),” the agency said. “Market Dominant products include First-Class Mail (FCM), USPS Marketing Mail, Periodicals, Package Services, and Special Services.”

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These regular price increases are starting to add up for USPS customers. For example, stamp prices are now about 15 percent more expensive than what they were prior to 2021, and they have nearly doubled from the 33 cents they cost in 2000, Money magazine reported.

But Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has stood by the Postal Service’s soaring prices and made it clear that he has no plans to stop the hikes anytime soon.

“I believe we have been severely damaged by at least 10 years of a defective pricing model —which cannot be satisfied by one or two annual price increases—especially in this inflationary environment,” DeJoy said during a 2022 Postal Service Board of Governors meeting. “From my perspective, the mailing industry needs to be prepared for continued use of our authority to raise prices on market dominant products at an uncomfortable rate until such time as we have accomplished our objective of projecting a trajectory that shows us becoming self-sustaining—as required by law.”