Full Breakdown
Prolonged Power Outages in Gary, Indiana After August 11 Storms
8/25/2026, 6:15:16 AM
The Outage Event
Severe storms on August 11 2026 ripped through northwest Indiana, toppling trees and snapping power lines. NIPSCO reported over 374,500 customers without electricity at the peak. Gary, the region’s most populous city, had more than 8,600 customers still in the dark as of August 24, with officials saying full restoration would not occur until Tuesday, August 25.
Background & Context
NIPSCO, a monopoly utility serving roughly half a million customers, is owned by NiSource Inc. The company announced a $140 million dividend payout shortly before the storms, drawing criticism that ratepayer funds were not being directed to system hardening. Gary’s population is nearly 80 % Black, with median household income about $40,752, underscoring long-standing disinvestment in the city’s infrastructure.
Data & Statistics
- Peak outage: 374,500 customers statewide.
- Remaining outages (various reports): 8,400–10,712 customers, most in Gary.
- Mayor Eddie Melton cited 7,000+ Gary residents still without power on August 24.
- Individual losses: Joetta Walker, 73, reported $750 of spoiled food; Channie Weaver estimated $300 of provisions lost.
- State-approved vegetation-management funding: $81 million (2023-2025); infrastructure improvement funding: $2.3 billion (since 2016).
Official Statements & Responses
Governor Mike Braun demanded a state-level review, stating:
“NIPSCO is a monopoly utility that Hoosiers pay every month with the expectation that it will use its considerable resources to maintain its system, prepare for severe weather and restore service as quickly as possible when disaster strikes. NIPSCO has failed to keep its end of the bargain.”
Mayor Eddie Melton called the restoration pace “unacceptable” and said he was in “strict communication with NIPSCO” to push for faster crews.
Criticism & Opposition
Civil-rights leader Bernice King linked the delayed service to a pattern of inequity affecting predominantly Black communities. The utility’s legal team said its vegetation-management spend has more than doubled since 2016 and that it will “vigorously defend” the company.
On-the-Ground Reports
Residents described life without power as a health and safety crisis.
“I have a nebulizer where I need to take breathing treatments,” — Joetta Walker
“The kids running around, they stealing people’s generators right now,” — Calvin Boone
“I have a heart monitor and once the electricity has been off this long, the hospital, the doctors cannot monitor that monitor because it's off. So, hopefully nothing has happened to me yet,” — Rutha Taylor
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Different outlets reported varying numbers of remaining outages: NBC News cited 8,600 Gary customers, NPR referenced 17,000 citywide, and the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission’s map listed 9,145 customers without power in Lake County. No source provided a definitive, real-time count, leaving the exact scale ambiguous.
What’s Next
Governor Braun directed the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor to file a complaint with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, launching a formal investigation into NIPSCO’s vegetation-management and use of state-approved funds. The utility pledged to cooperate and to bring in out-of-state crews, including more than 60 workers from Commonwealth Edison, to accelerate restoration. The August 25 deadline remains the target for completing power restoration in Gary, after which investigation findings and any regulatory actions are expected to be disclosed.
