Gary Power Outage After August 11 Derecho

On August 11 a powerful derecho swept across Northwest Indiana, producing straight-line winds of up to 99 mph—comparable to a Category 2 hurricane. The windstorm toppled trees and snapped overhead power lines, creating the largest outage in Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) history. The utility called the damage “unprecedented and widespread,” noting that crews must replace dozens of transmission poles and repair substations before power can be fully restored.

Capital B

NIPSCO supplies electricity to roughly half a million customers in the region. The storm’s broad footprint, rather than a localized tornado, uprooted thousands of trees at once, overwhelming the utility’s vegetation-management capacity.

Capital B

• Initial outages affected about 301,000 customers statewide.

NewsOne

• Subsequent storms pushed the total to over 370,000 outages.

Associated Press

• Reports of remaining outages vary, with the highest figure at 75,000 customers still without power, the majority in Lake County.

Chicago Sun-Times

• In Gary alone, roughly 20,000 customers remained dark as of the latest updates.

Associated Press

• Restoration efforts have repaired service for 306,000 customers since the storm began.

Capital B

• Melody Birmingham, group-utilities president for NiSource, said the storm’s “extensive and complex damage” and the need to clear uprooted trees and repair hundreds of poles explain the delayed timeline. She added that NIPSCO is targeting 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, August 25 for full restoration in Gary, with a 95 % confidence level.

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• Indiana Governor Mike Braun urged NIPSCO to accelerate work, labeling the situation “unacceptable” and requesting an expedited federal disaster declaration.

Chicago Tribune

• Mayor Eddie Melton emphasized coordination with state agencies, the Indiana National Guard, and utility crews, and highlighted donations from local charities to support residents.

Parts of Northwest Indiana have been without power for over 1 week; it'll be days before it's back on

Residents describe daily life as a struggle for basic necessities. Store employees reported flickering lights and sudden blackouts, while families ration gas for generators and line up for free meals at community centers. A mother in Gary recounted sleeping on the floor because her air-conditioner was silent. Volunteers have organized laundry pickup services and donated food, water, and hygiene kits.

Block Club Chicago

Outage counts differ across sources, ranging from 41,290 to 75,000 customers still without power. No single agency has provided a definitive, city-wide restoration schedule for Gary until the recent August 25 target, leaving residents uncertain about when essential services will resume. Some customers report that NIPSCO’s outage map does not reflect street-level outages, and utility representatives have declined to comment on the cause of these discrepancies.

ABC7Chicago.com

NIPSCO aims to complete restoration in Gary by Tuesday, August 25. State officials have requested a major disaster declaration to unlock additional federal resources, and FEMA has approved emergency assistance for Indiana. Ongoing efforts include deploying out-of-state crews, increasing vegetation-management staff, and providing emergency grants of up to $5,000 per family to help residents cover immediate needs. Community food drives and volunteer services will continue to support those still awaiting power.

NewsOne