FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service are suspending delivery operations in several Florida cities as Hurricane Helene moves along the state's western coastline.
The hurricane is slated to strike Florida's northwestern coast on Thursday evening, bringing with it life-threatening winds and flash flooding, according to the National Hurricane Center, and its impact is already being felt in the Tampa Bay area.
FedEx's ground delivery services are either suspended or have limited service Thursday in more than 350 Florida ZIP codes. Affected cities include Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota and Brandenton. Its express services have stopped or limited deliveries in more than 875 ZIP codes across Florida, Georgia and Alabama.
The company's freight services have not yet reported any Hurricane Helene-related impacts.
"Delays and disruptions could be possible for inbound and outbound shipments in affected areas due to local conditions and restrictions," FedEx said in a Thursday service alert. "Contingency plans are in place to provide service to the best of our ability in areas that can be safely accessed."
Shipments delayed due to hurricanes and tropical storms aren't eligible for a refund or credit under FedEx's money-back guarantee policy, the company said.
For the Postal Service, all delivery and retail operations are suspended until further notice for facilities in the 335, 336, 337, 339, 341, 342 and 346 3-digit zip code areas, the agency said in a notice Wednesday.
The Postal Service is also suspending operations at four processing and distribution centers in Tampa, Fort Myers and Sarasota. Alternate sites in Orlando can receive drop shipments in their place. Normal operations at the impacted sites are slated to resume at 4 a.m. on Friday.
As of Thursday morning, UPS has not issued a service alert related to Hurricane Helene.
Editor’s note: This is a developing story and may be updated with more details.