- Severe storms hit Gary, Indiana, leading to significant power outages.
- Homes and businesses in Gary remain without power 13 days after the storms.
- Indiana Gov. Mike Braun directed the state consumer advocate to petition for an investigation into NIPSCO's preparation and response, including whether the utility adequately maintained vegetation and spent approved funds as promised.
Thirteen days after severe storms struck, Gary, Indiana, remains without power, impacting over 38,300 homes and businesses.12
Governor Mike Braun has directed an investigation into Northern Indiana Public Service Co. (NIPSCO) regarding its preparation and response to the outages.3
Gary Mayor Eddie Melton criticized the restoration pace as "unacceptable," stating, "We’re at day 12 and 12 days is too long for families to be without power."
NIPSCO reported that over 370,000 customers lost power, with more than 364,000 restored, but many in Gary remain in the dark.
A lawsuit has been filed against NIPSCO, alleging negligence in maintaining vegetation near power lines, which contributed to the outages.
NIPSCO has stated it will "vigorously defend" its practices.
The investigation will assess whether NIPSCO adequately maintained vegetation and if funds for infrastructure improvements were used as intended.
Gary, one of the poorest cities in America, has a population where over 29% live in poverty, with a median household income of about $40,752, significantly lower than the state average of $71,959.
"No outage is being overlooked, and no customer will be left behind as we continue this restoration effort," NIPSCO assured.
“The investigation will examine whether NIPSCO adequately maintained vegetation and cleared rights-of-way, and whether funds approved for infrastructure improvements were spent as promised. Braun's directive to the state consumer advocate signals a formal probe into the utility's handling of the prolonged outages.”
