The United States Postal Service (USPS) prepared for Hurricane Ike knowing the potential for damage to facilities and disruption of mail service. Yet, thanks to the diligence of employees who moved quickly to protect life, secure mail and protect postal facilities, the USPS is ready to resume operations in most impacted areas by Monday, September 15, 2008.

Postal Services Teams, comprised of Postal Inspectors and Postal Operations employees, fanned out across impacted areas in Texas and Louisiana. While some areas still remain inaccessible due to flood waters, where there is access, the Postal Teams are evaluating potential damage and will attempt to restore facilities and equipment. The current status of areas impacted by Hurricane Ike, insofar as Post Offices are concerned, is as follows:

TEXAS

Post Offices in the city of Houston (ZIP Code area 770) are set to reopen on Monday, with the exception of Nassau Bay Station and Albert Thomas Station, where mandatory evacuation orders remain in effect.

Retail Post Office lobby services will be available at Post Offices in Houston on Monday, except at Nassau Bay (77058) and Albert Thomas (77059 and 77062) stations.

Mail delivery will resume in the city of Houston on Monday where local conditions permit, except for ZIP Codes 77058 and 77059.

All operations in the greater Bryan area (ZIP Code area 778) are operating normally, and the Processing and Distribution Facility is processing mail today.

All Post Offices and Postal Service operations in the surrounding areas outside the city of Houston (ZIP Code areas 773, 774, 775, 776, 777), encompassing the greater Houston, Beaumont, Bay City, Freeport, and Galveston areas, will resume operations, provided any mandatory evacuation order has been lifted.

Post Offices in the Victoria and Corpus Christi areas (ZIP Codes 779 and 783, respectively) will resume services Monday morning Sept. 15. All Post Offices are open.

In Galveston the Post Offices are closed due to restricted access to the island.

LOUISIANA

A few sites in Calcasieu, Cameron, Beauregard, Allen, Iberia, Jeff Davis, St. Mary, St. Charles , St. John , St. James, Jefferson , Lafourche, Plaquemines, Vermillion and St. Bernard Parishes are still experiencing flooding along waterways, and in low-lying areas. 

Westlake, Vinton and Sulphur Post Offices are open with limited service, operating on generator power until electricity is restored by local utility companies. 

Delcambre and Avery Island Post Offices (705 ZIP Code area) are inaccessible due to flood waters. Dulac, Montegut, Barataria, Grand Isle and Lafitte Post Offices are inaccessible due to flooding. 

Hackberry and Cameron Post Offices are inaccessible due to flood waters.Efforts are underway to establish a temporary post office, and residents of Hackberry and Cameron can pick up their mail at Lake Charles Drew Station. 

Lake Charles is without power but generators will allow limited service on Monday, September 15, 2008. 

For the latest information on USPS service updates, check: http://www.usps.com/communications/news/serviceupdates.htm.

Additional information regarding postal operations within specific ZIP Code areas will be issued by the U.S. Postal Service as necessary.

Customers can call the Postal Service’s toll-free number 800-ASK-USPS (800-275-8777) or the TTY number 877-TTY-2HLP (877-889-2457) for help with any postal questions they may have.