When the lights went out at the Marathon, WI, Post Office recently, employees got creative to keep the mail moving.
The outage happened on a day like any other.
“Our area was not under any storm watches or warnings, but at about 6:30 a.m. a storm kicked up with severe winds and downpours,” said Postmaster Jim Forer.
Trees and branches went down throughout the city, landing on and pulling down several key power lines leading to the city.
As the Post Office lost power, Retail Associate Jean Walters grabbed flashlights and then called Letter Carrier Andy Berens to bring in more.
Most employees strapped their lights on their heads with mail bundle straps or tucked their phones under their chins to get a clear look at the addresses. “Everyone worked to get all the mail cased, bundled and ready for delivery and nothing was curtailed,” Forer said.
It wasn’t until 9:30 a.m. that all the power was restored.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the group of employees that I have the privilege of working with,” Forer said. “This was just one of those times where their dedication to the Postal Service went above and beyond.”