Congresswoman Kathy Castor wants answers on why 7 post offices remain closed months after storms

Congresswoman Kathy Castor sent a letter to the USPS Postmaster general as two Bay Area post offices remain closed because of hurricane damage.

"I'd like to know what damage they've sustained at these locations, what they've been doing to fix it, how long is it going to take to make the repairs," Castor said in the letter.

The letter Castor sent to the USPS Postmaster general.

The letter Castor sent to the USPS Postmaster general.

In the letter, she states seven regional post offices are closed because of Hurricanes DebbyHelene, and Milton.

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Castor raised the most concern about closed post offices in Town n' Country and Ruskin.

She said frustrated residents have brought the issue to her attention, explaining, "I think people provide a little bit of grace one month after a hurricane, even two months after a hurricane. But now we're at three months, and we have no explanation."

According to Castor, the Ruskin post office off US 41 N has been closed since Sept. 25, just before Hurricane Helene.

Piles of debris, boarded-up windows, and fallen ceiling tiles remain.

Post office in Town n' Country that has been closed since just before Hurricane Helene.

Post office in Town n' Country that has been closed since just before Hurricane Helene.

"People rely on the United States Postal Service and convenient locations to get their medicine, to get their social security checks," Castor said.

Meanwhile, the Town n' Country post office off Paula Drive has been closed since Oct. 8, just after Hurricane Milton.

Monday, residents were seen driving up to the front door and turning around after reading the closed sign.

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Roger Stovell tried to drop off a package.

Hurricane debris outside of the post office in Town n' Country.

Hurricane debris outside the post office in Town n' Country.

"How do I feel? I feel it sucks. That's all. Simple as that," Stovell said.

Stovell said that with so many seniors living in the area who now have to find somewhere else, he feels the community has been let down.

"When you're used to having a place that's there for you, and you come up one day, and it's not there," Stovell said. "They should have sent out notices letting us know that the post office is closed."

Mary Howard said the closure has been a significant inconvenience.

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"I'm just getting off of work, and I'm extremely tired, so I'm hoping that they do something soon," Howard said.

Howard said the closure seems to put a strain on nearby locations, too.

Closed notice on the door of a Ruskin post office

Closed notice on the door of a Ruskin post office. 

"The last time I went to a post office outside of the neighborhood, everyone was piled in from this area and putting pressure on the post office," Howard said.

FOX 13 asked the USPS what's being done to reopen these locations, to which a spokesperson released the following statement Tuesday afternoon:

"The Postal Service appreciates its customers and always strives to provide the best possible service. A firm timetable for completion of repairs is not available at this time; however, the Postal Service is working to resume services in facilities that were affected by Hurricane Helene and Milton and restore postal operations as soon as possible. 

When repairs have been completed, the Postal Service will make a final assessment of those facilities to ensure they are safe for re-occupancy, then a tentative date for resumption of services will be decided. The public can check on the status of any facility by checking our Service Alerts page at Resident Weather Alerts - Newsroom - About.usps.com. Additional information regarding USPS leased facilities can be found by visiting: https://about.usps.com/who/legal/foia/leased-facilities.htm. We appreciate the patience of our valued customers as we continue to work diligently to resume postal operations in all facilities."

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