'A burst of hot air': South Padre Island residents spoke out over lack of AC at local post office
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Residents of South Padre Island say the local post office has been without air conditioning for months, leaving workers and visitors to deal with extreme heat inside the building.
The doors are propped open and windows are cracked, but people who use the post office say the heat inside is still hard to miss.
"You walk in the door, and it almost feels like the heat is on; that's crazy. In July, and August in South Padre Island," South Padre Island resident Lucinda Wierenga said.
Wierenga has lived on the island for 40 years and visits the post office several times a week.
South Padre Island resident Leslie Blasing has also called the island home for decades. She said the problem has been going on for months.
“It's a burst of hot air, and it's just intolerable for us just for the short time,” Blasing said. "The last three or four months have just been unbearable for the people that work here."
South Padre Island resident Tommy J. Saenz also uses the post office. He recorded video of the conditions and shared it on social media.
The video shows the entrance doors propped open with zip ties and windows along the front and side of the building open to let air in. The post sparked a conversation online, with others sharing their concerns for workers inside.
"The employees at the postal service were telling me that it was 99 degrees inside the office," Saenz said. "We went to the counter once, and they weren't manning it. I was unable to print something because it was so hot the machine was overheated, and they asked us to come back later."
All three residents say they want something done, not just for themselves but for the people who work there every day.
"It's a humanitarian thing. These are our brothers and our sisters that work here," Blasing said.
"No one is doing anything about it. It's been dragging on and on; enough is enough," Saenz added.
Channel 5 News reached out to the U.S. Postal Service. The USPS said it is aware of the HVAC issue, and local management is taking steps to resolve it.
The agency said work is currently being done on the HVAC system but did not specify what the issue is or when the problem began.
Meanwhile, USPS said it has placed portable air conditioners throughout the facility and encouraged employees to take extra breaks as needed. The agency said it has also provided water.
The postal service said it does not have a timeline for when the repairs will be completed.
Watch the video above for the full story.
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