For five months the USPS was unable to restore normal mail service.

First class mail resumed first with many residents complaining that service is erratic. Bulk mail, especially magazines were not delivered for six months. Home delivery was not provided in some zip codes for the first three months. Mail service was a favorite target of letters to the editor since a USPS VP reported (prematurely) that normal service had been resumed.

Other delivery services like FedEx, UPS, and DHL resumed operation almost immediately after the storm. They seemed to function just fine through a busy Christmas 2005 season.

Much of the problem was attributed to damage to the post office building on Loyola and Girod. On Tuesday 2/21/6 the building reopened. From this point service returned to normal.

Even though privatized the USPS still seems to operate much like a government bureaucracy. I wonder why?

• When picking up mail at the Carrollton branch office for a home in 70118 zip code I was confronted with a long line. Although the residents in line were mostly in good humor it was clear that the employees behind the desk would rather be somewhere else.
• Postal delivery of drug prescriptions is not advised
• My insurance company recommended I come to their disaster center in person rather than rely on the US Mail when we needed to exchange some documents.