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Katy residents say mail delayed since Beryl
Some people in Katy say they're facing another problem since Hurricane Beryl hit: they're not getting their mail. FOX 26 Business Reporter Tom Zizka looks into what the hold-up is.
KATY, Texas - Some people in Katy say they're facing another problem since Hurricane Beryl hit. They say they're not getting their mail. It's hard to say if this is widespread, as we saw in the spring when the Postal Service had hundreds of thousands of pieces of mail delayed at an area distribution center, or a more isolated problem. For those affected, it's a distinction without a difference.
Tammy McRae says she hasn't received any mail in her Katy neighborhood since the hurricane, "This is long enough. I want my mail."
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Every day she checks the mailbox and it's empty, she says, which is a growing problem as she waits for a Social Security disability check, among other items.
"They told me what the date they sent it out, and I haven't gotten it," she says. "This was three weeks ago. So, there's some important stuff in there, (but) even if it's not important, it's still mine, and I want it."
But not everyone in the neighborhood is having trouble. One woman, picking up her mail, says she hasn't noticed any problems, "Everything's been delivered on time."
Still, FOX 26 has received a number of mail-delivery complaints from the Katy area, and for some, the disruption is causing complications.
"I'm have not received any of my bills, so I'm scrambling to remember what bills are due," says Marty Kingery, who describes a similar delay. "I don't know my account numbers, because they're on the bills that they send me every month. I'm just playing catch-up and trying not get behind on anything."
The affected mail, based on complaints, seems to be routed through the post office on Park Row. The women say the closest they got to an explanation was an acknowledgement that some delivery was delayed.
"She just told me to hang in there, and we'll get it sorted out," says McRae.
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In a statement, the Postal Service says it has been similarly affected by Hurricane Beryl, as customers have, and that power outages and transportation challenges have impacted their network.
For customers, they say they're working as fast as they can, "We sincerely apologize to our customers for any inconvenience that may have been experienced, and we ask them to please be patient if they are expecting packages or specific mailpieces."
USPS Statement:
The Postal Service continues to work hard to fully restore service to our customers in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl. We can verify that mail and packages are being processed and delivered as quickly as possible throughout the Houston and Greater Houston areas. We realize businesses and residences throughout the area have been impacted by the weather, and USPS employees, many of whom also experienced effects of the storm, are working around the clock. Due to a variety of factors, including power outages and transportation challenges, there may be some residual impacts within our network. We sincerely apologize to our customers for any inconvenience that may have been experienced, and we ask them to please be patient if they are expecting packages or specific mailpieces. We are processing, transporting, and delivering all items as quickly as we can. Customers may contact their local Post Office or the USPS Customer Call Center at (800) 275-8777 or check www.usps.com for updates. We also have a free feature, Informed Delivery, which allows customers to sign up and be alerted to mail and packages that will be arriving soon in their mailbox. Details can be found here.