USPS Is Suspending Services at 30 Post Offices, Effective Now
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The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is a public service , so it’s required by law to deliver mail and provide access to mailing needs at post offices across the country nearly every day. That is unless certain unexpected circumstances arise. The USPS has the authority to stop deliveries and close post offices amid various emergencies like natural disasters—and the agency isn’t above exercising this power to keep its employees and customers safe. In fact, 30 post offices are facing operational adjustments right now because of a recent disaster. Read on to discover where the USPS is currently suspending services.
RELATED: USPS Is Making These Changes to Your Mail, Starting Now .
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Hurricane Idalia made landfall in the U.S. on Aug. 30 as a Category 3 hurricane, when it first slammed into Florida’s Gulf Coast, CBS News reported. It then moved across northern Florida into Georgia before downgrading to a tropical storm as it made its way into South Carolina and North Carolina. But the aftermath of Idalia is still causing issues, especially for postal customers in certain areas.
In a banner on its website, the USPS warned residents that Hurricane Idalia is still affecting its operations in the Southeastern part of the country. “A destructive Hurricane Idalia has struck several states in the Southeast U.S. There are impacts to USPS operations in areas affected by the powerful storm,” the agency said on its Service Alerts webpage . “Please refer to our residential service alerts webpage for current status. We are working to reopen facilities and restore service as soon as possible where it is safe to do so.”
RELATED: USPS Warns “Mail Service Could Be Halted”—Even If You’re Following the Rules .
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The USPS has been suspending services in several parts of Florida since Aug. 29 in anticipation of Hurricane Idalia’s arrival. But the agency has already resumed operations and reopened facilities in different parts of the state. As of Sept. 1, the USPS indicates that 19 post offices in Florida are still closed because of the hurricane in the following towns and cities: Aripeka, Homosassa, Suwanee, Cross City, Mayo, Jasper, Jennings, Lamont, Lee, Live Oak, Lloyd, McAlpin, Madison, O’Brien, Old Town, Pinetta, Wacissa, Wellborn, and White Springs.
In an Aug. 31 local press release , the Postal Service said that customers normally served by the Aripeka Post Office can now obtain retail services and pick up their mail at a Postal Mobile Retail Unit that has been set up in the facility’s parking lot. The agency has also set up a Mobile Retail Unit at the Suwanee Post Office, while operations for the Homosassa Post Office have been moved to the nearby Homosassa Springs Post Office, according to a separate local press release from Sept. 1.
Retail and delivery operations for the 16 other affected Florida facilities are still temporarily suspended until further notice, the agency added in its Service Alerts. For these post offices, “no alternate sites are available,” the USPS stated.
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Florida wasn’t the only state impacted, however. On Aug. 30, the Postal Service suspended mail delivery and retail operations for Georgia customers in areas with ZIP Codes that started in 313, 314, 315, and 316 due to Hurricane Idalia. But the agency has since reopened many post offices and resumed deliveries for all affected facilities.
As of Sept. 1, retail operations are still not available at 11 Georgia post offices located in the following towns and cities: Barney, Barwick, Boston, Dixie, Du Pont, Fargo, Morven, Naylor, Ray City, Stockton, and Valdosta. Services at these facilities will “remain temporarily suspended until further notice,” according to a local press release . “The Postal Service appreciates its customers and their understanding as we temporarily adjusted operations for their safety and that of our employees,” the agency added in its release.
RELATED: See a Sticker on Your Mailbox? Don’t Touch It, USPS Says .
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As the Postal Service works to resume all operations in Florida and Georgia, the agency is calling on customers for help. In two separate local press releases for both states, the USPS said it needs people to clear debris around their mailboxes in order for it to “provide uninterrupted mail service” after Hurricane Idalia.
“The accumulation of debris around mail receptacles can cause delays in delivery, and in some areas, contractors removing the debris are taking mail receptacles along with the debris,” the agency explained in both releases. “Residents are urged to pile away debris from their mailboxes.”
If your mailbox has been damaged from the storm, the USPS also said you should contact your local post office to make arrangements for your mail to be held until repairs can be made. “In the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia, letter carriers are back on the street delivering mail, wherever it is safe and accessible to do so,” the agency noted.
- Source: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/
- Source: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/local-releases/fl/2023/0831-aripeka-po-temporarily-suspends-operations.htm
- Source: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/local-releases/fl/2023/0901-usps-northern-florida-update-list.htm
- Source: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/local-releases/ga/2023/0830-usps-temporarily-suspends-due-to-hurricane-idalia.htm
- Source: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/local-releases/ga/2023/0901-usps-resumes-delivery-and-retail-operations.htm
- Source: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/local-releases/fl/2023/0831-help-usps-deliver-clear-debris-around-mailbox.htm
- Source: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/local-releases/ga/2023/0831-help-usps-deliver-clear-debris-around-mailbox.htm
See a Sticker on Your Mailbox? Don’t Touch It, USPS Says
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Your mailbox serves a very simple purpose: receiving mail and leaving outgoing mail for a carrier to pick up. Still, some of us enjoy sprucing up our mailboxes, adding personal flair, color, or even decals to help an otherwise standard mailbox stand out. But if you notice a paw print sticker on your mailbox that you didn’t add, don’t start peeling it off just yet—it’s likely part of a program run by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to help keep carriers safe. Read on to find out what these stickers mean and why you shouldn’t remove them.
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In 2023, more than 5,800 Postal Service workers were attacked by dogs while delivering mail, up from 5,300 in 2022, according to a USPS press release.
Larger cities had the highest numbers of attacks, with Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, St. Louis, and Cleveland claiming the top five spots.
“Even though a customer’s dog is friendly to most people, it can always have a bad day,” said letter carrier Tara Snyder . “I know, from experience, even when a dog is in the house, customers need to make sure their door is secure so their dog can’t push it open and bite the letter carrier.”
To her point, the USPS writes that “all dogs can bite, even those perceived as nonaggressive.” In fact, many of the attacks that letter carriers report are by dogs whose owners told them, “My dog won’t bite.”
Such an attack can result in consequences for the homeowner, too. According to data from the Insurance Information Institute, the average cost per insurance claim for a dog bite is $64,555, the USPS states.
“When a postal employee suffers an injury, the owner could be responsible for medical bills, lost wages, uniform replacement costs, and pain and suffering for the employee,” they explain.
RELATED: USPS Is Making These Changes to Your Mail, Starting Now .
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To combat dog bites, the Postal Service shared tips on how pet owners can “support safe mail delivery.” These include keeping dogs inside the house or behind a fence, away from the door or in another room, or on a leash.
“Pet owners also should remind children not to take mail directly from a letter carrier as the dog may view the carrier as a threat to the child,” they state.
Mail carriers also follow protocol to keep them aware of areas where dogs might be present, and they’re equipped with scanners to remind them of possible dog hazards, as well as dog warning cards that are added during mail sorting.
In 2020, the USPS added another preventive measure: the PAWS Program . First introduced in Pennsylvania, the program uses mailbox stickers to keep carriers safe.
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The PAWS Program uses color-coded stickers affixed to mailboxes to inform mail carriers about dogs in the area. An orange sticker with a black paw print tells carriers that there is a dog at this home, while a yellow sticker with a black paw print tells them there is a dog at the next house.
Citizens are informed ahead of time that the stickers may appear on their mailboxes. In a notice sent to Lakewood, Ohio, residents, the Postal Service wrote, “Carriers will soon be placing a paw sticker on mailboxes to indicate that a dog or dogs live in the area —yellow indicates dog nearby/orange indicates dog at residence. The sticker will act as a reminder to the carrier that they should proceed with caution, especially when delivering packages to the door.”
RELATED: Postmaster General Louis DeJoy Resigns—What It Means for the USPS and Your Mail .
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Removing these stickers may do more harm than good, as your mail service can be halted if your carrier feels unsafe. Not only does this affect the home of the dog owner, but it also applies to the entire neighborhood, the USPS said in a previous press release . Service isn’t restored in these instances “until the aggressive dog is properly restrained.”
At the end of the day, these stickers are put in place to “reduce the risk of dog bites and attacks that occur while delivering mail,” which is just another reason you should leave the sticker on your mailbox.
“We all love our dogs,” Kimberly Tilley , acting postmaster for Winston-Salem, told WGHP. “We love our animals, but we … have to take responsibility to protect the carrier and the people around us as well from our animals.”
Tilley added that dog bites are more common than you think, and they can be traumatic for carriers. “Once a carrier has been bit, it sets some fear in them long term for the rest of their life,” she told the outlet.
However, although these stickers are strongly recommended, if you object to having a sticker placed on your mailbox, you can opt out , Kyle Stevens , Southwest Carrier Annex station manager in South Dakota, told KELO in 2021. To do so, the first step would be to contact your local post office.
This story has been updated to include additional entries, fact-checking, and copy-editing.
