Some Iowans who went to work today will return home this afternoon to find no mail in their mailboxes. Forget that old adage of "Neither rain, sleet nor snow" keeping the letter carriers from their appointed rounds.
With the monster ice and snow storm causing such a widespread slippery mess, U.S. Postal Service spokeswoman Mary Berardi says carriers shouldn’t be putting their lives at risk.
"If conditions are hazardous and there’s reasonable doubt that the delivery can be completed safely, the carriers are expected to exercise their judgment in suspending delivery," she explains. Berardi says when weather becomes severe, it forces them to change plans. "Delivery service may be delayed or curtailed whenever streets or walkways are hazardous," though she says it’s only as a last resort.
Residents can help. Berardi says clean off your sidewalk and driveway so carriers can safely reach the mailbox, and if the box is on the roadside, make sure to keep it cleared too, especially after the snowplow comes through and buries it. Remove any obstructions, vehicles, trash cans, snow and ice that could be in the carriers’ way.