Northwest Indiana Still Without Power Nearly Two Weeks

Northwest Indiana remained without power for nearly two weeks after Aug. 11 storms that brought 100 mph winds, affecting Gary and several surrounding communities. Officials said tens of thousands still lacked electricity, with Gary residents numbering around 17,000 to more than 20,000 still out as restoration targets stretched into the following week. Gov. Mike Braun activated the National Guard and urged faster restoration, while NiSource executives described the outages as complex rebuilds rather than simple repairs. President Trump approved an emergency declaration to enable FEMA assistance in recovery efforts as residents relied on shelters and food distributions. A class-action lawsuit was filed against the utility over vegetation maintenance around power lines, underscoring accountability concerns. The crisis also drew scrutiny of NiSource’s financial decisions, including dividend payouts to shareholders during the outage response.