Story perspectives

NIPSCO Restores Power to 97% After 100-MPH Storm

8/26/2026

Center

Trump Declares Emergency

On August 11 2026, winds up 100 mph and heavy rain knocked out power for 374,500 customers in Northwest Indiana, with Gary hardest hit.
U.S. President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration, enabling FEMA and the Indiana National Guard to assist restoration.
NIPSCO said it restored power to 97 % of customers, leaving 8,400 Gary residents without electricity.
World Central Kitchen and local shelters provided meals and shelter to residents during the outage.

Left

NIPSCO Restoration Delay

On August 11 2026, winds up to 100 mph and heavy rain knocked out power for about 374,500 customers in Northwest Indiana, especially in Gary.
Officials and residents say NIPSCO’s slow, unequal restoration has left a majority-Black, poverty-stricken Gary disproportionately in the dark.
Mayor Eddie Melton condemned the two-week blackout, while Governor Mike Braun launched a vegetation-management probe and the National Guard and ComEd deployed crews.

History

Historical Context

After Hurricane Katrina’s 2005 landfall flooded 80 % of New Orleans and sparked national debate over unequal power restoration, the August 2026 storm in Gary, Indiana left Black neighborhoods without electricity, prompting Governor Mike Braun and the National Guard to act. The event echoes Katrina’s criticism of delayed, inequitable infrastructure response and FEMA’s earlier shortcomings.

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Trump Declares Emergency

On August 11 2026, winds up 100 mph and heavy rain knocked out power for 374,500 customers in Northwest Indiana, with Gary hardest hit.
U.S. President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration, enabling FEMA and the Indiana National Guard to assist restoration.
NIPSCO said it restored power to 97 % of customers, leaving 8,400 Gary residents without electricity.
World Central Kitchen and local shelters provided meals and shelter to residents during the outage.

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