USPS back to normal after facility damage

COEUR d'ALENE — Don't call the U.S. Postal Service the Grinch just yet.

The region's mail service has returned to normal operations — just before the Christmas rush — after Tuesday's strong winds damaged a mail storage and processing facility roof at the Spokane airport for the second time in less than a month.

Ernie Swanson, USPS spokesman, said mail at the facility was sent to Seattle on Wednesday to be processed so this week's mail is delayed two or three days.

"In the midst of the holiday mail season, which increases volume, we weren't sure how long it would take to make the repairs," Swanson said, referring to the decision to send mail to Seattle to be processed. "We took that extra level of precaution so that the mail wasn't delayed further. Even though it was delayed, we wanted to keep the mail moving to avoid a huge backlog in the Spokane building."

However, the Spokane facility ran at 75 percent of full capacity on Thursday and it's now back to normal operations.

Swanson said the facility's roof was damaged, causing it to leak. Equipment had to be covered, but no mail was damaged, he said.

The roof was also damaged during last month's wind storm.

"We can't do a complete repair job because of the nature of the roof and warm weather is needed," Swanson said. "We thought the repair from November would hold us through the winter, but obviously it didn't. The repair this time was more extensive so that, if there are more weather issues, there won't be a problem."

Swanson said mail was delayed after the November storm, but not sent to Seattle for processing.