Alexandria, La. (1/29/2026) — UrbanCast had a good conversation with FedEx this week about the recent epic winter storm impacting much of the country and what it has meant for package deliveries here in Central Louisiana. The message was clear: while Alexandria may look fine on the surface, the storm created major slowdowns outside our area that have delayed packages and caused frustration for residents and businesses waiting on deliveries.
FedEx says the problem is not what people are seeing locally. Even when the roads look clear in Alexandria, packages still have to travel through major sorting centers and highways in other states. When those roads close or shipping hubs slow down, packages back up across the entire system.
Where the holdup happened?
A FedEx representative told UrbanCast that Alexandria receives incoming loads of packages from several major locations, including Dallas, Lake Charles, Jackson (Mississippi), Olive Branch (Mississippi), and Memphis. When winter conditions shut down highways and disrupted operations near those hubs, fewer loads were able to make it into Alexandria.
FedEx said that since Saturday, Alexandria received only a small amount of incoming packages, mostly from Lake Charles and a limited route coming through Mississippi. Loads that normally come through Memphis and Olive Branch were not arriving.
How big the slowdown was?
FedEx said the Alexandria station typically handles about 11,000 to 16,000 packages a day outside the holiday season. During the storm disruption, FedEx said the station did not handle more than about 1,500 packages on some days.
That slowdown affects a wide delivery area, stretching from near the Texas line to communities toward the Mississippi side, and from smaller towns north and south of Alexandria.
Why tracking updates confused people?
FedEx said one of the biggest frustrations for customers is when tracking updates suggest a package will arrive “tomorrow,” but it still does not show up.
FedEx explained that this can happen when a hub begins scanning and organizing packages again, which triggers automatic tracking updates. However, if the trucks and routes moving packages out of that hub are still delayed, those packages may not actually make it to Alexandria as expected.
What FedEx says happens next?
The representative said Dallas has started moving again at a stronger pace, and Alexandria saw an increase in local package volume as a result, though it is still not back to normal.
FedEx also warned that the next phase could feel chaotic. Once roads reopen and hubs begin releasing backlogged packages, large volumes may arrive at once. FedEx trucks can only carry so much per day, so some deliveries may still take extra time while crews work through the backlog.
FedEx said Sunday deliveries are likely in the Alexandria service area to help catch up, depending on weather conditions. FedEx expects service to get closer to normal by Tuesday, which is typically the lightest delivery day of the week.
What this means for Cenla residents?
If your package is delayed, FedEx says it does not necessarily mean it is lost or sitting in Alexandria. It may still be stuck at a hub outside Louisiana, waiting for safe movement and available routes. FedEx says deliveries should start arriving in waves over the next several days as the backlog clears.
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