Apple Informs Some Customers About Delayed Repairs Due to Hurricane Harvey - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Informs Some Customers About Delayed Repairs Due to Hurricane Harvey

by

Apple appears to have informed some customers that its repair center in Houston, Texas is unsurprisingly closed due to Hurricane Harvey, which has caused catastrophic flooding and damage in the area since making landfall five days ago.

apple genius repair
In a discussion on Reddit, one user said his Mac has been sitting at a FedEx shipping facility since Friday. FedEx, UPS, and the United States Postal Service have temporarily halted service in many areas of coastal Texas and western Louisiana.

Another user from Austin, Texas said he visited an Apple retail store and learned that Apple has supposedly been calling customers with repairs routed through Houston to inform them about the possible delays.

Apple appears to be diverting at least some new repairs to its other repair facilities elsewhere in the United States.

Apple's retail stores in the Houston area are also unsurprisingly closed, including its Highland Village, Houston Galleria, Memorial City, Willowbrook Mall, Baybrook, The Woodlands, and First Colony Mall locations.

In related news, accessory maker Twelve South said it will be donating 12 percent of all sales from Wednesday, August 30 through Monday, September 4 to the American Red Cross, in support of Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

Harvey made another landfall in western Louisiana on early Wednesday as a tropical storm. Heavy rains continue to be expected along the Texas-Louisiana coast as the storm makes its way farther inland and eventually dissipates.

Top Rated Comments

jmkinny Avatar
118 months ago
I brought a Mac to the Apple Store yesterday and he did let me know that it would take a few extra days. I am totally fine with that, as it wasn't my Mac, but one of my end users (I'm a Mac tech).

I hope that everyone in the Houston area is ok and they make a quick recovery from this horrible time. I remember going through something similar with family and friends from NJ with hurricane Sandy.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
118 months ago
Anybody upset with this delay doesn't deserve their repair.
It can be very disruptive and difficult for people to be without their computers but there are people there who have lost everything. One little girl was found clinging to her dead mother. :( I know someone down there who is trapped in his house. He didn't say much about it to anyone other than he and his wife are alive and well, considering. I don't know if he has water inside his house or just around it, he didn't say. The message was very brief. He has had to conserve battery so it's not like he can hold conversations about what's going on.

It's fun to come to this forum and talk about tech rumors but I appreciate the moment to acknowledge there's suffering going on and I hope our fellow MR members in the affected areas are staying safe. Our thoughts, well wishes, prayers and practical support are with them.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
118 months ago
Anybody upset with this delay doesn't deserve their repair.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
beanbaguk Avatar
118 months ago
Phones don't go to Houston. They either go to Austin or Elk Grove, Ca. The facility that Apple uses in Houston only repairs Macs for Apple. They also repair PlayStations, Xboxes and other PC manufacturers products.
[doublepost=1504110799][/doublepost]
Well first of all they weren't sure how bad the storm was going to be. Second, not all Mac repairs go to Houston, some go to Memphis and you won't know until the repair actually is created, so when you call Applecare or go into a store, they don't know where it goes specifically.

As far as the Mickey Mouse comment goes, what country are you from? Goofy?
Somebody didn't get this......
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
118 months ago
Anybody upset with this delay doesn't deserve their repair.
Agreed. I used to work for a cable company and we had a hurricane
Anybody upset with this delay doesn't deserve their repair.
I used to work for a cable company retail location. Our area had been affected by a Cat 1 hurricane. Some people including myself were without electricity for 2 full weeks. Customers would come to our location complaining about not having cable service. When asking if they had electricity they would answer no. Nothing we can do if you don't have power.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
justperry Avatar
118 months ago
Meanwhile... on the other side of this globe

http://metro.co.uk/2017/08/29/as-storm-harvey-dominates-headlines-floods-are-devastating-south-asia-6887164/

It's a disaster much bigger than what happens in the states now yet we don't hear much about it.

Don't get me wrong, nobody should be in this situation, sad thing is, not all places are safe to live.


Don't think many will complain about delays, but then again, there are stupid people everywhere.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Gradient 16x9 1

Apple Just Made an Extremely Rare Product Announcement

Thursday August 27, 2026 7:58 am PDT by
The new Mac mini and Mac Studio models unveiled by Apple this week are the company's first new Macs announced in August since 2020. It is extremely rare for Apple to announce new products of any kind in August, excluding smaller things like new color options and accessories. As mentioned, Apple's last notable August product announcement was in 2020, when it updated the 27-inch iMac and a...
Apple Surprise Shine

Apple Event: Six New Products to Expect on September 9

Thursday August 27, 2026 8:00 am PDT by
Apple has announced that it will be holding an event on Wednesday, September 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, with the company widely expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, its first-ever foldable iPhone, and more. Other products expected to be announced at the event include an Apple Watch Series 12 with a ceramic case option, an Apple Watch Ultra 4, AirPods 5 with and without...
iPhone 18 Pro Dark Cherry Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Pre-Orders May Start at an Unusual Time

Friday August 28, 2026 8:17 am PDT by
Pre-orders of Apple's iPhone 18 Pro may not open until Saturday, September 12, a day later than the company's usual schedule, according to a new report. Apple is set to hold its annual iPhone event on Wednesday, September 9, where the iPhone 18 Pro models, its first-ever foldable iPhone, and the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 are all expected to be announced. Under Apple's typical...