USPS Is Temporarily Suspending Services in These Places — Best Life
Robert Spencer
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) basically operates around the clock—with some exceptions, of course. Postal customers had to plan around post offices being closed nationwide for Labor Day on Sept. 4, and the next couple months have more federal holidays to prepare for. But depending on where you live, these may not be the only times your local operations are disrupted in the coming weeks. The Postal Service can close post offices and halt deliveries for a number of reasons, which some customers in Ohio and Texas are currently finding out. Read on to discover more about the USPS temporarily suspending services.
RELATED: USPS Is Making These Changes to Your Mail, Starting Now.
Postal facilities can face disruptions "caused by weather-related and other natural disasters, special events, or other changes impacting service," according to the USPS. But the agency strives to inform customers about post office closures in their area through its Service Alerts website. With this online tool, you can find "current, frequently-updated information about whether mail is being delivered to your neighborhood or if your local Post Office is open," the Postal Service states.
On Sept. 20, the USPS updated its Service Alerts website to warn the public about new residential service disruptions in Texas and Ohio. According to the updates, services have been temporarily suspended at two different facilities in Houston, Texas, and another post office in North Bloomfield, Ohio, is set to close starting Saturday, Sept. 23.
RELATED: USPS Warns "Mail Service Could Be Halted"—Even If You're Following the Rules.
In one update, the USPS announced that it would be closing the North Bloomfield Post Office at 8829 State Route 45 for an undisclosed amount of time.
"Effective Sept. 23, all operations will be temporarily suspended due to floor repairs," the agency stated on its Service Alerts website. In a separate local press release posted Sept. 19, the Postal Service further explained that the floors were going to be renovated.
When Best Life reached out to the USPS about this closure, spokesperson Naddia Dhalai confirmed that the "floors need upgrading," and revealed that the agency has "not determined an opening date" yet for the facility.
"We will inform customers when we determine the opening date," the Postal Service said in its release.
During the closure, P.O. Box customers from the North Bloomfield Post Office are being directed to pick up their mail at the the Bristolville Post Office in Bristolville, Ohio. The agency said that all other operations will also be moved to this facility, which is just over five miles away from the North Bloomfield facility.
RELATED: USPS Postal Inspector Reveals How to Mail Checks to Avoid Theft.
In its other update on Sept. 20, the USPS revealed that services had already been suspended at two post offices in Houston, Texas. Certain operations at both the Medical Center Station at 7205 Almeda Road and the Greens North Post Office at 1530 Greensmark Drive are now "temporarily suspended due to safety concerns," according to the Service Alerts website.
The Postal Service added that the closures were made "with the safety of our customers and employees as our priority" in two separate local press releases posted Sept. 20 for both the Medical Center Station and Greens North Post Office. But the agency did not elaborate on what safety concerns are at play at these two facilities.
In one press release, the USPS indicated that retail operations at the Medical Center Station facility have been unavailable to customers since Aug. 28. P.O. Box service, on the other hand, is still being provided at this post office during the suspension. According to the agency, Medical Center Station customers can obtain retail services at any of the three nearby alternate locations also in Houston: Astrodome Station, Almeda Station, or Southmore Post Office.
Both retail and P.O. Box operations were suspended at the Greens North Post Office on Sept. 20, however. The agency has set up a Mobile Retail Unit (MRU) in the facility's parking lot to accommodate P.O. Box customers during the suspension. Meanwhile, the agency said retail services for Greens North Post Office customers will be offered at three nearby alternate locations in Houston: Cornerstone Post Office, Westfield Post Office, and North Shepherd Post Office.
Services at the Medical Center Station and Greens North Post Office will be suspended "until further notice," according to the USPS.
"The Postal Service will provide additional information when regular operations resume," the agency added in both releases.
Best Life reached out to the USPS to get more information on the two Texas facility closures, and we will update this story when we hear back.
RELATED: For more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter.
