This Day in Henrico History: October 23 – Anthrax scare disrupts workplaces and mail operations in Henrico

On October 23, 2001, two facilities in Henrico County were disrupted by suspicious mail during a national wave of anxiety over anthrax attacks. Henrico Police’s official history records the evacuation of employees at an Internal Revenue Service distribution center on Carolina Avenue after a white powder was found in an incoming letter.

The same day, the Richmond Post Office processing and distribution annex near Richmond International Airport was temporarily shut down over a similar concern. These local precautions came amid reports of anthrax-contaminated letters elsewhere in the country, following the September 11 terrorist attacks.

The police history states that authorities suspected the IRS incident might be a hoax and that none of the substances involved in the Henrico incidents proved to be anthrax. A later precautionary closure at the University of Richmond’s Robbins School of Business, on October 29, was also recorded in the county account.

The October 23 disruptions show how a national emergency reached ordinary workplaces and public services in Henrico. Even without a confirmed local anthrax exposure, the uncertainty was enough to interrupt operations and require a public safety response.

Sources: https://henrico.gov/assets/Police_Division_History_w_update.pdf