GARY, Ind. — Tens of thousands of customers in Gary remained without electricity more than a week after a powerful storm damaged the electrical system across northwestern Indiana.
The Aug. 11 storm produced widespread straight-line wind damage throughout the region.
A 99 mph wind gust was recorded at Gary/Chicago International Airport, according to the National Weather Service.
The storm knocked down trees and utility lines, damaged homes, flooded streets and left traffic signals inoperable across Gary.
City officials declared a local disaster emergency Aug. 12 as crews began clearing roads and responding to reports of structural damage.
Northern Indiana Public Service Co. reported that the initial storm interrupted service to approximately 301,000 customers, representing more than 60% of the utility’s electric customers.
Additional severe weather increased the cumulative number of outages to approximately 370,000 between Aug. 11 and Aug. 18.
As of 9 p.m. Tuesday, NIPSCO reported that 92,000 customers remained without power across its service territory.
The utility had restored service to approximately 278,000 customers since the emergency began.
Local reporting indicated that nearly 27,000 NIPSCO customer accounts in Gary were still without electricity Tuesday night.
Some customers in ZIP codes 46401, 46403, 46404, 46406 and 46408 regained service during the day, but additional outages were also reported.
NIPSCO had not released a specific citywide restoration estimate for Gary as of Tuesday night.
The utility said cities without published deadlines were either included in larger service areas or still undergoing damage assessments.
Individual outages could continue after restoration work is substantially completed in a community.
The storm caused extensive damage to NIPSCO’s electrical infrastructure, including more than 1,500 transmission and distribution poles, five transmission towers and approximately 2.1 million feet of electrical wire.
The restoration effort includes approximately 1,440 line workers and 276 vegetation management crews.
NIPSCO described the destruction as “unprecedented and widespread,” requiring thousands of individual repairs involving broken poles, downed wires and other damaged equipment.
“Our end goal is fully restoring service to impacted communities and customers,” the utility said in an online statement.
NIPSCO is coordinating with Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, Indiana State Police, the Indiana National Guard and local law enforcement during the recovery.
State and local authorities are also helping protect utility workers as restoration efforts continue.
Restoration work in Gary was temporarily suspended Sunday after gunfire struck a NIPSCO crew vehicle. No injuries were reported. Crews resumed work later that day after coordinating with local authorities.
The extended outage has created additional challenges for residents who have lost refrigerated food, access to medical equipment and the ability to pump water from private wells.
Several traffic signals and public facilities also remained without reliable electricity.
Demand for emergency assistance has increased across the area and a mobile food pantry at West Side Leadership Academy served approximately 150 people before running out of food Tuesday, according to local reporting.
Gary school officials are inspecting buildings room by room before allowing students and employees to return.
Fire protection systems, electricity and other essential services must be operational before affected buildings can safely reopen.
The city established a 24-hour shelter and charging station at the YWCA, 150 W. 15th Ave.
A medical oxygen refill station is also available at Indiana University Northwest, 3301 Broadway, for residents affected by the outage.
Residents may report storm-related damage by calling Indiana 211 or using Gary’s 311 system.
NIPSCO advises residents to stay away from downed lines as they should be treated as energized and report them immediately to 911 and the utility at 800-464-7726.
About the Author
