LOOGOOTEE, Ind.- The Loogootee, Indiana, post office is set to reopen within the next one to two weeks with some conditions.

The facility has been closed for two months following the March 15 EF2 tornado that damaged the areas in Loogootee and surrounding regions.

The tornado caused significant damage inside and outside the Loogootee Post Office building, leading to a shutdown and full cleanup on March 18 after the damage was too severe to reopen.

As of March 22, as we reported, the USPS announced that mail for Loogootee residents would be assessed at the Washington branch unless delivered to their homes. Post Office staff posted on a sign on their building that was later posted on Facebook that, after 1 pm. daily, except for Saturdays, all mail would be transported to the Washington branch, where it could be picked up until closing time at 5 am.

A portable Post Office truck, called the ProMaster van, was used to distribute mail at the Loogootee site until all mail was moved.

The post office indicated in March that PO box deliveries would be discontinued in favor of pickups at Washington, effective Monday, March 24. Residents could pick up packages, mail, checks, and postage from Loogootee from 9:30 pm to 12:30 am that Monday through Friday, and Saturdays from 9 pm. to 12 pm

Recently, residents have been receiving their mail via the Washington branch since cleanup began.

Today, a Washington post office official confirmed that the Loogootee branch was given approval to finally move back into its building and distribute mail from PO boxes.

The official told the Loogootee Big-L Times that the office is gradually re-entering the building to resume operations and that, at this time, the tellers are not yet operational as equipment is being reinstalled. However, the Post Office got the okay for customers to finally re-enter the building to pick up their mail at their assigned PO boxes.

The post office expects to reopen the window teller station within the next one to two weeks, allowing for in-person package delivery. However, some steps remain before full operations can resume, including equipment installation and small building repairs. Until then, some residents can continue to pick up their mail at Washington or from the mail trucks outside the Loogootee office.

Debbie, a USPS worker in Washington, expressed optimism about the upcoming reopening, saying this is a step in the right direction, and they hope to reopen the office in Loogootee.

The USPS is working to restore full service, and residents can expect the post office in Loogootee to be fully operational very soon.