Indiana: Tens of thousands in USA without power for days after storm

Tens of thousands of people in the U.S. state of Indiana remain without electricity nine days after a severe storm.

As of Thursday morning, around 68,000 customers of Northern Indiana Public Service Co. were still disconnected from the power grid. The storm, which occurred on August 11, has left many residents in the northwestern part of the state struggling with daily life. They are forced to discard spoiled food, seek out places to charge their mobile phones, and depend on free meals and essential supplies.

Full power restoration in some affected areas is not anticipated until Tuesday. Since the initial storm, approximately 306,500 households and businesses have had their power restored. The prolonged outages are beginning to cause health concerns, including risks of carbon monoxide poisoning from generators used in poorly ventilated spaces. Individuals reliant on medical equipment are also facing critical challenges.

In related news, the city of Columbus in Ohio, located about 400 kilometers away, experienced flooding due to heavy rainfall. Emergency services rescued several individuals from submerged vehicles. In a separate incident, a 12-year-old boy was rescued after being swept away by a current on his bicycle.