Gary Power Outage Leaves Thousands Without Electricity Nearly Two Weeks After Storms

Residents face health risks, spoiled food and extreme heat as restoration work continues

GARY, Indiana — More than 8,600 utility customers were still without electricity Monday, nearly two weeks after powerful storms swept through northern Indiana, leaving many Gary residents without air conditioning, refrigeration and essential medical equipment.

The prolonged Gary power outage has placed particular strain on older residents and people with health conditions. Joetta Walker, 73, said she has been unable to use the nebulizer she relies on for asthma treatments because her home has no electricity.

“I have a nebulizer where I need to take breathing treatments,” Walker said. “I can’t do that without the electricity.” She said she has instead depended on an inhaler, which does not provide the same relief, especially in the heat. Walker said relatives have been bringing her food and charging her cellphone twice daily.

Walker also estimated that about $750 worth of food, including pork chops and spiral hams, had spoiled in her refrigerator and freezer. At night, she said, she has been moving through her home by candlelight.

Mayor seeks federal help as utility sets restoration target

Gary Mayor Eddie Melton said he spoke with President Donald Trump and requested federal assistance to speed recovery efforts. Melton said he asked the president to issue an executive order and provide resources so residents could return to work and the city could begin returning to normal.

The mayor also said he met with Republican Sen. Jim Banks. Melton said he expected a significant number of customers to regain power Monday, with full restoration hoped for by Tuesday.

That forecast followed Melton’s public criticism of Northern Indiana Public Service Co., or NIPSCO, the Merrillville-based utility serving the northern third of Indiana. In a message posted Sunday through the City of Gary, Melton said 12 days without electricity was unacceptable for local families.

NIPSCO said Monday that it remained focused on safely restoring service in every community affected by the storms. The company reported that most of the more than 8,600 remaining outages were in Gary and said it expected to restore all customers in the city by Tuesday. NIPSCO provides natural gas and electric service to more than 1.3 million residential and commercial customers across northern Indiana.

Families report thefts and worsening conditions

Residents said the outage has created mounting safety and financial pressures. Dion Thomas, 40, said Monday was the first day he had seen utility crews in his neighborhood. He said some homes appeared to regain electricity briefly before losing it again.

Thomas said residents have gone to parks to cook remaining food over charcoal before it spoils. Calvin Boone, 44, said generator thefts had also become a concern in his neighborhood, adding that some residents had been sleeping in vehicles with their air conditioners running to escape the heat.

Channie Weaver, 50, said her power returned overnight, but not before she lost an estimated $300 in groceries. Weaver lives with her daughter, who is pregnant, and two young granddaughters. She said the lack of cooling had made the outage especially difficult for the household.

Several residents questioned whether Gary, a predominantly Black city on the southern edge of Lake Michigan, was receiving restoration service more slowly than other communities. The outage has renewed pressure on officials and the utility to explain the restoration timeline and provide assistance to households dealing with medical needs and food losses.

As of Monday, NIPSCO said crews were continuing restoration work across Gary, with the utility targeting Tuesday for full service restoration. The company had not announced a separate assistance program for residents reporting spoiled food, medical hardships or generator thefts.