FLASH - USPS Prepared for Gustav

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is working closely with various federal agencies to support state and local authorities as Hurricane Gustav ravages the Gulf Coast.

According to the Sulphur, LA Southwest Daily News, the Postal Service processed benefit checks for nearly 400,000 people in potentially hurricane impacted areas of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

These customers received their Social Security checks on Friday, August 29 and Saturday, August 30, rather than on September 3rd, the regularly scheduled payment day. Mandatory evacuations may have stalled delivery in some locations.

The Postal Service also has procedures in place to help customers reestablish connection with their mail as soon as weather conditions allow.

The USPS is working closely with the Social Security Administration and other agencies to continue disbursing checks that have not been received. Customers are encouraged to go to the Social Security website www.ssa.gov and click on the Hurricane Gustav link for more information.

The Postal Service encourages customers to file change of address cards as soon as they have relocated. Filing can be done in three ways:

-On line, at www.usps.com

-In person at any post office, station or branch

-By phone at 1-800 ASK USPS (1-800-275-8777)

Shown above, NASA photo of Hurricane Gustav crossing the Louisiana coast while Tropical Storm Hanna spins near the Turks and Caicos Islands.

For more on what you can do to help, click here.