Mail Service Disruption in Bryan/College Station Due to Hurricane Beryl
Houston-based USPS Facility Temporarily Out of Power
July 10, 2024, witnessed a sudden interruption in mail service in Bryan/College Station due to the adverse effects of Hurricane Beryl. The primary cause of this was reported as a temporary loss of power at the North Houston processing facility which handles mail activity from Bryan/College Station. A USPS spokeswoman based in Houston provided WTAW News the assurance that power at the facility would undoubtedly be restored by the end of the day.
The disruption in service hasn’t only caused a halt in regular mail service but has also impacted bulk mail and larger commercial mailings, colloquially known as “drop shipments”. The USPS website declared that customers using the Houston processing center were being directed to Dallas until the inconvenience could be solved.
Mail Backlog at Bryan
Another revelation from a Bryan Broadcasting co-worker is that all the mail being collected in Bryan/College Station is currently idling on the dock in Bryan, awaiting processing and delivery.
Statements from USPS Spokeswoman Nikki Johnson
On July 10, 2024, Nikki Johnson, a spokesperson for USPS, in her statement asserted, “The Postal Service, which delivers to every residence and business in the nation, has a robust strategy for rapidly reconnecting customers with their mail and packages as quickly as possible. Preparations began even before Hurricane Beryl struck the area and recovery efforts continue around the clock.”
She further explained, “Like much of the impacted area, some postal facilities temporarily lost power. However, we anticipate power being restored sometime today at the North Houston processing facility.” She informed that they are ensuring safe use of generator power where necessary, along with redirecting some larger commercial mailings to other locations.
Restoration and Recovery
Johnson assured, “As power is restored and employees can safely return to their workplace locations, we will continue to focus on restoring normal operations as promptly as possible.” Providing further information on the North Houston Processing & Distribution Center (P&DC) and Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU), Johnson said that all facilities are diligently following established protocols for handling of all mail and packages.
Yet, while all these efforts are being made to restore normal service, the exact timeline for the resumption of mail handling that is not bulk or commercial mailings remains unknown. However, the recovery efforts are ongoing, and we hope regular mail services will resume their heart-warming activity of connecting people soon.