Fire-related power outage at Greensboro USPS processing center leaves packages, mail stuck

A power outage at a major U.S. Postal Service processing center has left an unknown number of packages in limbo.

The outage at the Greensboro Regional Processing and Distribution Center began Sunday after a power line fell onto a transformer at a nearby Duke Energy substation, sparking a fire and knocking out power to the facility.

According to the Greensboro Fire Department, the fire disrupted operations at the USPS processing center on West Wendover Avenue, delaying the processing of mail and packages.

While USPS says most mail and packages were rerouted to other processing facilities, some items that were actively being sorted when the power went out remained on processing equipment until electricity could be restored. Other packages also appear to be stuck at nearby locations. A USPS memo reviewed by WRAL 5 On Your Side indicated that power would likely be restored by Saturday. 

Among those waiting for answers is eBay seller Will Wofford, who says he dropped off roughly 80 packages earlier this week in Raleigh. Days later, many still showed no movement in USPS tracking. 

“Somebody had reached out and said, ‘Hey, did you ship this item? I’m kind of nervous about it,’” Wofford said. “So I looked into it.”

Wofford says a postal employee told him his packages were likely caught up in the disruption.

“She’s like, ‘Honey, I don’t think your stuff’s going out. It’s probably not going out for a couple days,’” he said.

What concerns Wofford most is that many of his shipments still display the message “Package Acceptance Pending.” That status means USPS has not yet recorded an official acceptance scan.

That could create problems if a package is lost before that first scan. Without an acceptance record, customers may face additional hurdles when filing an insurance claim because there is no electronic record showing USPS took possession of the package.

“I just need proof that I’ve dropped the packages off,” Wofford said. “That’s all I’m asking for.”

WRAL 5 On Your Side asked USPS how many packages were affected by the outage and whether packages without an acceptance scan would still be covered by insurance. The Postal Service did not directly answer those questions.

“The Greensboro Processing & Distribution Center (RPDC) was impacted by a power outage in the area caused by a fire nearby earlier this week. Most mail and packages were rerouted to other processing facilities. Some mailpieces were actively being processed at the time of the outage and remain on the processing machines. Processing for those pieces will be completed as soon as power is restored. Delivery and retail operations are not impacted by the outage. We thank customers for their understanding and continued support.”Statement from a USPS Spokesperson

Wofford says he plans to continue shipping with USPS because discounted eBay shipping rates make other carriers too expensive for his business. But until his packages begin moving, he’s left hoping they, and his customers’ confidence, aren’t lost in the backlog.

WRAL 5 On Your Side has asked USPS to clarify what protections are available for customers whose packages never receive an initial acceptance scan and is waiting for a response.