‘Getting no help’: Thousands in Gary, Indiana, still without power nearly 2 weeks after storms

Key Points:

• Nearly two weeks after storms hit Gary, Indiana, more than 8,600 customers, mostly in this predominantly Black city, remain without power, severely impacting residents with medical needs like 73-year-old asthma patient Joetta Walker.
• Mayor Eddie Melton has criticized utility company NIPSCO for the slow restoration and has sought federal assistance from President Trump and Senator Jim Banks, hoping for full power restoration by Tuesday.
• Residents report significant hardships including spoiled food, health risks, and theft of generators, with many resorting to sleeping in cars or cooking outdoors to cope with the heat and lack of electricity.
• Some residents express frustration and suspicion that Gary’s predominantly Black population may be contributing to the delayed power restoration compared to other areas affected by the storms.
• NIPSCO states it is focused on safely restoring power to all customers and expects to complete restoration in Gary by Tuesday, but local residents remain skeptical and distressed by the prolonged outage.