Roof collapse at Poplarville Post Office said to be due to insect, water damage
Published 3:06 pm Thursday, January 27, 2022
- A portion of the roof of the Poplarville Post Office reportedly collapsed in the early morning hours of Jan. 2. Since no one was in the building at the time, no injuries were reported. For the time being all business with that office will be handled through a mobile unit. Photo by Jeremy Pittari
Services within the Poplarville Post Office, locate at 301 S Main St., remain temporarily suspended, due to structural issues.
According to previous coverage, the post office roof collapsed on Jan. 2 at about 4 a.m. No one was in the building at the time of the incident so no injuries occurred.
“It appears a combination of factors may have contributed to the roof issues, including wood destroying organisms and water intrusion, due to leaks,” said Debbie Fetterly, Communications Programs Specialist with the U.S Postal Service in response to questions as to how the roof collapsed.
During a Pearl River County Board of Supervisors meeting held on Jan. 19, District III Supervisor Hudson Holliday asked the Board to approve a resolution asking the United States Postal Service to rebuild the damaged structure due to its historic nature. That request was approved by the Board.
According to a written response from Fetterly, USPS officials are continuing to seek an alternate location for retail and delivery operations while contractors work to make repairs. At this time, no firm deadline for completion of repairs is available, but the Postal Service will provide updates on any progress as they become available.
USPS will maintain its retail service for customers at the Poplarville location, including retail transactions such as stamp purchases, mailing letters and shipping packages, through a van parked in the parking lot of the facility, also known as a Mobile Retail Unit.
Hours of Operation for the Mobile Retail Unit are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m. The unit will be closed on Sundays.
Customers picking up items for which they received a “Left Notice” may also utilize the mobile unit.
Alternately, customers may conduct retail transactions at the Hattiesburg Main Post Office, located at 220 S. 40th Ave. Hours of operation for that location are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Saturday, 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. and closed on Sunday.
Customers have an alternative option of access to postal products from home or their business through the Click-N-Ship service, which can be used to create shipping labels and pay for postage. That service can be found online at usps.com/ship, or customers can schedule a free package pick up at usps.com/pickup.
