Delivery firms are trying to get back to normal operations today after the dramatic blizzards that buried much of North-East USA under record quantities of snow over the weekend.
The massive winter snowstorm brought much of New York City and other cities in the region to a standstill on Saturday and Sunday, while many smaller towns were cut off due to blocked roads. Some 31 people died in various incidents and accidents. Thousands of flights were cancelled.
The US Postal Service said late on Sunday (January 24) that postal operations have been impacted in parts of the South, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. “Customers are experiencing suspended or disrupted retail and delivery operations. As always, the Postal Service will make every attempt to provide service where it is safe to do so.”
UPS told customers on Saturday that “severe winter weather is expected to continue to impact service in areas of Connecticut, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington D.C., and, West Virginia throughout the weekend.
“Our teams are assessing the impacts from the weather and contingency plans are in place to help ensure shipments arrive at their final destinations as quickly as conditions permit. We will work to ensure the safety of our employees while minimizing effects on service.” The company noted that its service guarantees do not apply “when transportation networks are disrupted due to events of this nature”.
Similarly, FedEx said in a service alert on Saturday: “A winter storm is causing hazardous conditions in the Midwest, Southeast and Northeast regions of the U.S. Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our team members, as well as providing the highest level of service to our customers. Although contingency plans are in place, some service delays and disruptions can be anticipated for inbound and outbound shipments in the Midwest, Southeast and Northeast regions of the USA. FedEx is committed to providing service to the best of our ability in areas that can be safely accessed.”
DHL Express said on Friday it was monitoring the winter storms that are expected to impact parts of the Eastern U.S. with snow, heavy ice accumulations, strong winds and coastal flooding. "Although some areas may experience unavoidable shipment delays, DHL has been proactively managing its network to minimize these delays and will provide local DHL pickup and delivery services in areas that can be safely accessed and where conditions allow." The DHL Express International Service Guarantee does not apply for late shipment delivery of DHL Express shipments caused by natural disasters.
