Tens of thousands of people in northwest Indiana remained without power Wednesday, more than a week after deadly storms caused widespread destruction, leveling trees and knocking down power lines. Northern Indiana Public Service Co. (NIPSCO), the region's sole utility, reported that 85,000 customers were still without electricity as of Wednesday morning.
Since Aug. 11, NIPSCO has restored power to 285,000 customers. However, the ongoing outages have significantly impacted communities, with over 22,000 customers in Gary still affected. In Gary, residents have sought assistance at community centers for necessities like hot meals and phone charging.
NIPSCO has described the storm's destruction as "unprecedented and widespread." Crews from across the country have been brought in to aid in the repair of downed wires, broken poles, and damaged equipment. Amidst the restoration efforts, authorities reported an incident over the weekend where shots were fired at a NIPSCO vehicle during repairs in Gary, leading to increased security for utility crews.
Residents have expressed frustration with the prolonged outages. Jeremy Spurrier, a resident of Portage, shared that his home is projected to remain without power until Aug. 25, forcing him to rely on a generator that costs about $75 a day in gasoline. The extended outage has resulted in the spoilage of all the food in his refrigerator, and he has had to travel to Illinois to obtain ice for his insulin due to his diabetes.
In Whiting, Indiana, Myra Carden reported experiencing her second power outage on Wednesday. She noted that despite multiple outage reports, her requests for updates have been met with acknowledgments of previous reports. Carden uses a generator to keep her refrigerator running but only when supervised, expressing concern about losing a significant amount of frozen food.
Gary Mayor Eddie Melton acknowledged the community's exhaustion and frustration but emphasized that over 600 linemen are actively working on power restoration within the city. He stated that NIPSCO's efforts have not ceased in Gary and characterized the situation as a broader northwest Indiana issue.
The storms, which began on Aug. 11, have resulted in fatalities. Liz Woods, a spokesperson for the state Department of Homeland Security, confirmed that seven people, including a 4-year-old boy, three men, and three women, have died since the storms commenced.