Although we live in the 21st century^St century and can send a message halfway around the world more or less instantly, we still rely on physical mail. While the volume of mail has been in steady decline over the years, the Post Office still delivers 116 billion pieces of mail annually and still provides other essential services (such as delivery of ballot papers during elections).

The familiar motto of the United States Postal Service (USPS)—the whole business of “neither snow nor rain” or “darkness of night” preventing delivery—might make it seem like you’ll get your mail no matter what, even in the time of the apocalypse. But the truth is that the USPS can and does suspend mail delivery for any number of reasons. Sometimes it’s an entire region that loses service, but it can also affect a single neighborhood—or even an individual.

Here are seven reasons why the post office might decide to blacklist you or your block, and what you can do about it.

Reasons why the USPS may stop delivering mail

The Post Office is not wise about it – it has a the entire web page dedicated to the reasons why you no longer receive your mail. These include some obvious things:

• Mailbox locked or no mailbox. If you haven’t received your email recently, check to make sure that postal operators can actually access your mailbox. You should also make sure that the mailbox is not in desolation to the point where it cannot be opened or presents a danger to the carrier. You are also required they have a mailbox that meets post office standards—The post office will not throw your mail on the street.

• Full mailbox. If you rarely check your mailbox and there is already too much mail loaded in there, the USPS may suspend your deliveries until you remove it. The carrier should leave a form alerting you of the situation, but if you don’t collect your mail anyway, you may not see it right away.

If your mailbox is accessible, in good working order, and you collect your mail regularly, there could be bigger issues in the mix:

• Dogs. There were nearly 6,000 dog attacks per postman in 2023, according to the post office. That this neighborhood In Oklahoma, the post office will suspend mail service in an entire neighborhood if mailmen feel threatened by dogs.

• Dangerous conditions. Postal carriers are not required or expected to put their lives or health at risk to deliver mail. When a polar vortex ripped through the southern US a few years ago, bringing dangerously cold temperatures, the post office service temporarily suspended in 10 states. And in the wake of Hurricane Helene this year, it briefly suspended service due to the storm’s impact on roads and specific neighborhoods.

• Obstacles in motion. If the roads serving your neighborhood I’m in bad shape and post office vehicles can’t drive on them, or if they’re blocked in any other way, the carrier will skip your neighborhood until the issues are resolved.

• A generally dangerous neighborhood. Whether it’s a specific resident or a neighborhood considered to be generally dangerousthe post office will suspend your service if carriers do not feel safe entering the area.

• Lack of staff. The Post Office was struggling to hold positions for years, and this can lead to free routes which are assigned on a rotational basis and other temporary suspensions of work.

What to do if the USPS stops delivering your mail

If you realize you are no longer receiving mail, what can you do? Start by gathering information: USPS maintain a scoreboard that allows you check overall performance in your area. This will give you an idea if you are experiencing an isolated problem or if it is more widespread than just you or your neighborhood. You can also check the USPS website for service interruptions to see if there is a temporary reason for suspension.

Your next step should be to check the list of potential reasons above and make sure you can’t solve your own mystery. Is your mailbox accessible? Exaggerated? Are the roads blocked in your area? If you don’t see an obvious reason for suspension, it’s time to do it contact USPS by email, phone (1-800-275-8777), or by going to your local post office location to speak with someone in person. You can also send a Email search missing search request.