Residents Frustrated East Falls Post Office Remains Closed Due To Impacts Of Hurricane Ida
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - It's been more than eight months since Hurricane Ida along with several tornados, swept across our area, destroying homes and businesses with it. Many people are still working to rebuild the damage left behind. In Philadelphia's East Falls neighborhood, people are frustrated its post office is still closed.
A sign on the door reads, "temporary closure."
People who live nearby are outraged.
"The only thing we want to know is what is going on?" resident Isolene Nelson said.
Their neighborhood post office has been closed for eight months since Hurricane Ida flooded the area on Sept. 1.
Isolene Nelson has her mailbox inside.
"I can't get to it because there's no services here, and it's very inconvenient to me to go over to Germantown," Nelson said.
Her neighbor points out, that with the post office still closed, getting mail sent out is an issue for her because she doesn't like to use drop boxes for security purposes.
"Because there have been too many thefts from drop boxes. So if I want to mail something I have a choice. I can go to Germantown post office or, what's easier because of parking, I drive to Bala," Meg Greenfield said.
Together they and other neighbors say they've been asking when the post office would reopen and have been given different dates as to when.
"We tried calling the postmaster's office, no one answers the phone. No one returns our calls," Nelson said.
But Eyewitness News is getting answers. The postmaster tells CBS3 us in a statement, "The post office is a leased space, and the repairs [are] the responsibility of the landlord. The repairs are expected to be completed within the next six to seven weeks."
And congressmember Dwight Evans' office added, "Our office has been in frequent contact about the postal service about this because congressman Evans wants that post office to be reopened soon, and what the postal service has told us is that they are on target to reopen it in June."
Neighbors can only hope.
"The post office is critical to a neighborhood. Everybody depends on it," Nelson said.
CBS3 will be following up to see if the post office reopens in June.
Meantime, residents in Upper Dublin the rebuilding there after Hurricane Ida is taking too long.
