Almost two weeks after severe storms knocked out electricity across Northwest Indiana, more than 10,000 homes and businesses remained without power Monday as Indiana Gov. Mike Braun called for an investigation into the utility company’s response.
Braun directed the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor to file a complaint with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission and seek an investigation into Northern Indiana Public Service Company, or NIPSCO, over its handling of the widespread outages.
The outages began after powerful storms swept through the region on August 11. At the height of the storms, about 374,500 NIPSCO customers lost electricity.
By Monday morning, more than 10,000 customers remained without power, with roughly two-thirds of them in Gary. Residents in Munster, Portage, Hammond, Lake Station and Merrillville were also among those still waiting for service to be restored.
“NIPSCO is a monopoly utility that Hoosiers pay every month with the expectation that it will use its considerable resources to maintain its system, prepare for severe weather and restore service as quickly as possible when disaster strikes,” Braun said, per CBS News. “NIPSCO has failed to keep its end of the bargain.”
Braun said the investigation would examine whether NIPSCO fulfilled its responsibilities to customers and regulators.
“Hoosiers deserve accountability,” he said.
Thousands Remained Without Electricity in Gary
Gary had been particularly hard hit by the outages. Mayor Eddie Melton said more than 7,000 residents in the city remained without electricity Monday morning, despite hundreds of utility and vegetation workers being assigned to the community.
Melton said he had remained in close contact with NIPSCO but described the pace of restoration as unacceptable.
“I stayed in strict communication with NIPSCO, and I have made it very clear that the current pace of restoration is unacceptable,” Melton said, CBS News reported.
NIPSCO had predicted that most remaining customers would have their electricity restored by Tuesday night, nearly two weeks after the storms.
For some residents, the prolonged outage had created difficult conditions, particularly for families caring for children, older adults and people who depended on electricity for medical equipment.
Shatiya Hardin, a Gary resident, described the experience as exhausting.
“At night we’re sweating, we’re irritable, we have children to look out for, elderly people who need electricity for oxygen tanks,” Hardin said.
The storms had also left some neighborhoods without adequate street lighting, adding to residents’ concerns after dark.
“It’s not OK for us to continually be in survival mode,” Hardin said.
National Guard, ComEd Sent To Help
Braun announced Sunday that the Indiana National Guard had been deployed to help clear obstacles and vegetation so NIPSCO crews could reach damaged infrastructure.
Commonwealth Edison also sent crews to Northwest Indiana to assist with restoration efforts.
Braun said the workers handling repairs in the field had performed exceptionally, but he placed responsibility for the broader response on NIPSCO management.
The governor also said there was “no excuse for these delays.”
The storm system that caused the outages had produced widespread damage across Northwest Indiana, including flooding and downed trees and power infrastructure. At least seven people were killed during the severe weather, and roughly 1,000 people were displaced.
NIPSCO Faces Growing Scrutiny
The governor’s call for an investigation came as NIPSCO faced increasing criticism over its preparation and restoration efforts.
A class-action lawsuit had also been filed against the utility, alleging that inadequate vegetation management contributed to the widespread outages. The lawsuit argued that fallen trees and vegetation were major causes of the power failures.
NIPSCO disputed those allegations, saying its spending on vegetation management had more than doubled since 2016.
“We strongly disagree with the characterization of NIPSCO’s vegetation management practices,” the company said in a statement.
Melton said officials would need to examine the utility’s response once the immediate crisis had passed.
“We’re going to revisit what should we do better from an emergency management standpoint,” Melton said. “But going back to the utility side, what I’m going to encourage and demand is that we start having more accountability.”
Braun had also requested an expedited major disaster declaration from FEMA for 54 Indiana counties and estimated that damage from the storms and their aftermath could exceed $5 billion.
Community Support Continued
While crews worked to restore electricity, residents and community organizations continued providing assistance to people affected by the outages.
Social media food reviewer and influencer Keith Lee traveled to Gary on Monday to hold a giveaway at Roosevelt Pavilion, bringing food, supplies, food trucks and entertainment to residents.
Some people arrived before dawn, including Regina Gary, who said she came not only because she followed Lee but because she needed assistance.
“I currently do not have any lights still, and I’m a caretaker of my 72-year-old mother, and I’ve got a few pets at home, and things have gotten really slim,” she said.
Quinton Miller, who has two daughters, said the prolonged outage had made it difficult to keep his family supplied.
“I’m just trying to make sure that I can get as much as I can for my kids,” Miller said.
The giveaway organizers later directed attendees to a different location to collect supply boxes and receive wristbands before returning for food and other activities.
For residents who had endured more than a week without electricity, the assistance provided some temporary relief. But many continued to wait for the most important sign of recovery: the return of power.
Provided by Dallas Express
