Indiana residents face 11th day without power after storms

Residents of northwest Indiana are grappling with an 11th day without electricity after storms in early August toppled trees and power lines. The outages have crippled daily life, leading to closed businesses, spoiled food, and non-functional gas pumps. Thousands remain without power, and some in Gary have been told restoration might not occur until Tuesday, nearly two weeks after the storms began.

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This statement is ridiculous. It’s unacceptable. They need to do better.

Northern Indiana Public Service Company (Nipsco) reported restoring power to over 341,000 customers but acknowledged that "circumstances that temporarily increase numbers of outages" may continue. This statement drew sharp criticism from Gary resident Bridget Sanders, who called it "ridiculous" and "unacceptable," feeling her community is being "left behind."

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we are being left behind

A proposed class-action lawsuit filed against Nipsco alleges the company failed to trim trees, which led to the downed power lines. Attorney Otto Shragal stated the situation was "predictable, obvious and preventable." Nipsco refuted these claims, asserting its commitment to a safe and reliable system and noting that its vegetation management spending has more than doubled since 2016.

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This situation was predictable. It was obvious and it was preventable.

The storms damaged approximately 300 power poles. In Gary's Aetna neighborhood, one of the hardest-hit areas, downed trees still line the streets alongside other storm debris. Resident Cynthia Hunter described adapting to the situation, stating, "We're trying to maintain, but it's not easy." She explained that residents resort to charging electronics in their cars and sometimes spend the night there.

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We strongly disagree with the characterization of Nipsco’s vegetation management practices.