ROANOKE, Va. – It’s the busiest time of year for the United States Postal Service as a long line of people stood outside the door at the Cave Spring post office on Tuesday.
“The lines are long. I need to either come in at the moment they open or just wait,” said Susan Shullman, a customer.
USPS Appalachian District Communications Programs Specialist Tad Kelley said at this time, they are seeing about a 10 to 15 percent increase in mail volume compared to last year.
“It’s almost like a triple play,” Kelley said. “You have the regular holiday volumes, you have the impacts from the pandemic and now you have the potential for a storm.”
To beat the storm, postal workers started delivering mail early Tuesday and will make extra deliveries this evening.
“Each individual delivery office is different in terms of what they may be facing,” explained Kelley. “But if it’s more vehicle, if it’s more employees, if it’s more hours, it’s whatever is needed to get it done.”
Kelley asked that people turn on their porch light and clear their walkways from snow to help postal workers safely do their jobs.
Tuesday was the last day to send packages through ground shipping to assure it will arrive by Christmas Day.
The next USPS shipping deadline is Dec. 18 for first-class mail to arrive in time for Christmas.