Ten months since Hurricane Helene ravaged parts of western North Carolina, post offices have not reopened in many communities
The town of Marshall, about a half-hour drive from Asheville, was devastated when the French Broad River surged through the streets.
The town hall, police station, courthouse and post office were severely damaged.
“A town without a post office is hardly a town,” said Madison County Chair Matthew Wechtel.
The U.S. Postal Service tells Spectrum News 1 Helene damaged or destroyed 21 post offices in western North Carolina. Twelve have reopened, one just last week.
Nine are temporarily relocated, and of those, four are expected to reopen in their current location. The other five, including in Marshall, will have to relocate, after their landlords decided to use the buildings for something else.
The Postal Service is searching for new locations.
“When relocation is necessary, our goal is to find a new location as close to the current location as possible … We thank customers for their understanding,” the agency said.
“I’m certainly not satisfied with the level of communication,” said Rep. Chuck Edwards, a Republican who represents western North Carolina. “I believe that the people in the communities I represent deserve transparency.”
Edwards said while he’s not been happy with communication from the Postal Service, he is encouraged by recent post office reopenings.
