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Power outages drag on
Parts of northwest Indiana have been without power for over 1 week after a storm ripped across the region on Tuesday, Aug. 11, followed by additional storms in the following days, and Northern Indiana Public Service Company said it would be days before power is back on.
“Parts of Northwest Indiana have been without power for over 1 week”
The initial storm caused about 301,000 outages in Northern Indiana Public Service Company's service area, affecting more than 60% of its customers, and as of Thursday at least 65,000 Northwest Indiana customers were still without power.
In Gary, Indiana, more than 21,000 customers remained without electricity as of Wednesday morning, after the National Weather Service reported winds reaching 99 mph in the city.
ABC News reported that the storm uprooted large trees, brought down limbs and power lines, and created access problems for crews attempting to reach damaged equipment through alleys and other areas.
The outages also triggered additional problems in Schererville, Indiana, where an additional 9,000 customers experienced power outages on Thursday due to a downed powerline.
Crews, donations, and lawsuits
To accelerate restoration work, ComEd dispatched more than 60 employees to northwest Indiana on Saturday to assist NIPSCO crews, and the workers were expected to remain in the area for several days.
As of Saturday afternoon, NIPSCO reported more than 30,000 customers were still without power in northwest Indiana, and Gary and Portage were among the communities with the largest number of customers without electricity.
Gary resident Yvonya Randle, who is pregnant and past her due date, said, "I actually made 40 weeks last Monday. We just passed Monday," while also describing how she has been trying to avoid going into labor without power.
First Baptist Church of Gary Senior Pastor Nicole Guns said, "We've seen a lot of desperation," as hundreds of residents lined up for food at a giveaway on Thursday in Hammond, Indiana.
The dispute over the cause of the outages has also moved into court, with a class-action lawsuit filed against NIPSCO alleging it inadequately performed vegetation management in and around power lines, and NIPSCO denied the allegations while saying it maintains an active vegetation management program.
What’s at stake next
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun formally requested expedited federal disaster aid to assist with recovery efforts, and he said the state would deliver up to $5,000 in emergency grants per family to aid those impacted by severe storms and flooding.
“Braun formally requested expedited federal disaster aid”
Braun also said Monday the state would deliver up to $5,000 in emergency grants per family, and residents needing financial assistance can apply for state disaster relief funding through the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.
The scale of the damage and the length of the outage are driving further pressure, with ABC News reporting that Indiana Department of Homeland Security, Indiana National Guard, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Indiana Department of Correction, and Northern Indiana Public Service Company are conducting power restoration and debris-clearing efforts.
In Gary, the human toll is tied directly to the lack of electricity, and resident Lottie Boss told ABC News' Chicago station WLS, "You can't cook," adding, "There's no electricity."
As recovery continues, the legal fight over vegetation management remains unresolved, with NIPSCO President Melody Birmingham saying, "With respect to customer's bills, we've suspended any kind of disconnection through the next week," while residents and attorneys pursue claims that fallen trees led to the outages.