Oct. 8, 2024

USPS STATEMENT ON GEORGIA OPERATIONS AND HURRICANE HELENE RECOVERY AS OF OCTOBER 7, 2024

GEORGIA — Hurricane Helene was a catastrophic natural disaster that has disrupted services and operations for many organizations – including the Postal Service’s ability to deliver mail and packages - throughout the entire Southeast region. The Postal Service is working closely with other federal agencies, including FEMA, to assist in the response. The Postal Service's primary focus is to maintain the safety and security of our employees and to ensure that Americans receive their mail and packages as swiftly as possible.

USPS Operations In Georgia Are Resuming But Full Recovery May Take Time

Our operations team has worked around the clock to restore operations wherever safely possible however there is significant work to be done to deliver a backlog of mail and packages and reopen routes in the areas hit hardest by Hurricane Helene. The full recovery of service to the area may stretch forward for some time.

As of Oct. 7, all USPS Georgia processing facilities and most retail and delivery units have reopened. Where retail and delivery units remain inaccessible, we have relocated operations to nearby units and are further deploying mobile retail units to make sure we can provide retail and delivery services to impacted communities as quickly as possible.

We remain committed to delivering mail wherever it's feasible and safe, constantly adjusting our operations for a swift restoration of services. For the latest updates on our services, please visit our Service Alerts page here

Impact On Georgia USPS Operations

The Postal Service operates 742 facilities in Georgia. Local areas using three-digit ZIP Codes beginning in 304, 308, 309, 315, and 316 were the most severely impacted by Hurricane Helene. USPS teams have been dispatched to affected areas where possible and are working to get into other areas which remain inaccessible so far. As of October 7:

  •  738 postal facilities reopened, however, 4 retail sites still remain closed. The operations from these closed facilities are in the process of being transferred to other locations.
  • 1 facility destroyed: Lakeland Post Office cooped to Naylor Post Office
    • 0 facilities with flooding, 6 facilities without power
  • All impacted delivery offices are attempting delivery where safe to do so
  • 13 Retail Offices offering cash only transactions.
  • Sunday delivery made in some affected offices.
  • Approximately 153 offices have reported 2,307, 969 pieces of mail delayed by Hurricane Helene. Backlog as of October 7 is 55,134 pieces.
  • All mail destined for Georgia that cannot be delivered is being sent to the destinating Local Post Office where it will be delivered where safe to do so
  • 7,548 addresses are currently unreachable due to displacement or inoperable routes.
  • An estimated 0 routes are currently inoperable down from 3,351 after the initial impact of the storm.
  • Replacement vehicles are being sent to local post offices that suffered vehicle damage, enabling them to resume delivery services as quickly as possible.

Resources For Georgia Residents

  • For impacted residents who have relocated due to the storm, be sure to complete a change of address request at moversguide.usps.com.
  • For impacted residents currently in a temporary shelter, USPS employees will be on site this week to assist with change of address requests to ensure mail and packages are sent to a designated address.  
  • Available Social Security checks that have arrived are being delivered to all units for delivery and/or available for customer pick up.

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