Parts of Northwest Indiana have been without power for over 1 week; it'll be days before it's back on
Power outages in Gary, Indiana, and much of Northwest Indiana are expected to last two weeks, until Tuesday, Aug. 25, after a storm ripped across the region on Tuesday, Aug. 11, followed by additional storms in the following days, according to Northern Indiana Public Service Company.
The initial storm caused about 301,000 outages in Northern Indiana Public Service Company's service area, affecting more than 60% of its customers, the company reported.
At least 65,000 Northwest Indiana customers are still without power as of Thursday, according to Northern Indiana Public Service Company.
The agency said more than 21,000 Gary customers remained without electricity as of Wednesday morning.
Gary was among the hardest-hit areas in the utility agency's territory. According to utility officials, the National Weather Service reported winds reaching 99 mph in the city, comparable to a Category 2 hurricane. The storm uprooted large trees, brought down limbs and power lines and created access problems for crews attempting to reach damaged equipment through alleys and other areas, officials said.
An additional 9,000 customers in Schererville, Indiana, experienced power outages on Thursday due to a downed powerline in the area that caused outages in homes and in traffic lights, Northern Indiana Public Service Company confirmed.
Storms also caused severe flooding across the state, forcing more than 1,000 residents from their homes.
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun formally requested expedited federal disaster aid to assist with recovery efforts, he announced Friday.
Braun said Monday the state would deliver up to $5,000 in emergency grants per family to aid those impacted by severe storms and flooding. Residents needing financial assistance can apply for state disaster relief funding through the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.
The Indiana Department of Homeland Security, Indiana National Guard, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Indiana Department of Correction, and Northern Indiana Public Service Company are conducting power restoration and debris-clearing efforts.
Donors and relief organizations have provided assistance to residents in recent days.
Gary Mayor Eddie Melton announced Tuesday that both Hard Rock Casino of Northwest Indiana and Glenn Robinson, former NBA player, donated $100,000 each to aid ongoing recovery efforts. The aid will go toward the distribution of critical items to residents, including food, hydration, health and personal hygiene items, and cleaning and debris-removal supplies, the announcements stated.
"You can't cook," resident Lottie Boss told ABC News' Chicago station WLS. "You don't have anything. You don't have gas. You don't have a stove. There's no electricity."
Hundreds of residents lined up for food at a giveaway on Thursday in Hammond, Indiana, the northwestern part of the state.
"Our message to Hoosiers is that this is a marathon, not a sprint," Braun said on a visit to Noblesville, Indiana, on Thursday. "We will be with you every step of the way. We are here to serve Hoosiers and make sure that our citizens are taken care of and safe and we're going to stop until that is completed."
