Your Mail Delivery in a Disaster

Well...(1) there isn't any (2) re-read # 1.  One of the big problems with hurricane Sandy was for those who had pension or veterans checks delivered by mail. There was no delivery. And there was no delivery, in some cases for over three months. One of the undiscussed problems on every disaster preparedness site is "how to ensure I get my mail?"  Mail forwarding depends upon delivery to your local zip code office, which may be submerged. The best thing is to ensure that if you have forewarning every person who is going to send you a check sends it to a bank branch for direct deposit that will not be affected by the disaster. Until recently VA checks did not have to be direct deposit. For people living by the skin of their teeth, the fact there was no check delivery was very serious. In ther case of a small business, the loss of mail-delivered checks proved a real hardship. Notify ANYONE who might be sending you a check to have it held or delivered to a bank branch for direct deposit. While a bank branch on the next block might be convenient, it is better to have a branch of the same back some distance away, so if your block is flooded, your bank branch won't be flooded as well.

[caregiver222]

In the United States you can arrange for the post office to hold your mail. The period you may request is not less than three nor more than thirty days. The request must come no earlier than fourteen days before you want the mail held. You can do in person at your local post office by requesting and filling out form 8076. Alternatively go to the USPO website, click on the "hold mail" option and follow the instructions. Or you can do by telephone. You will get a confirmation number, necessary to retrieve mail. Well...not entirely necessary...but the easy way to do this. If the period exceeds thirty days submit a forwarding mail request.