Shatiya Hardin describes the severe impact of prolonged power outages in Gary, Indiana, following a series of powerful storms.
Shatiya Hardin reported that residents of Gary, Indiana, are facing significant hardships due to a prolonged power outage caused by powerful storms that began on August 11. The storms resulted in record rainfall and flooded several communities, leaving over 30,000 customers of the Northern Indiana Public Service Company still without electricity as of Saturday. Gary Mayor Eddie Milton stated that the city is seeking more accountability from the utility provider, while a class-action lawsuit was filed against the company, alleging that a failure to proactively trim vegetation from power lines was the primary cause of the outages. The Northern Indiana Public Service Company disputes these claims, noting that its vegetation management spending has more than doubled since 2016. Governor Mike Braun has requested an expedited major disaster declaration from FEMA for 54 counties, estimating that storm losses could exceed $5 billion. Residents have been relying on a. community center for basic needs like hot meals and air conditioning while waiting for power to be restored.