Thousands Remain Without Power Days After Indiana Storms

More than 30,000 residents of northwest Indiana continued to experience power outages a week after a series of intense storms that killed at least seven people and displaced roughly 1,000. The storms, which began on Aug. 11, produced record rainfall and flooded multiple communities, leaving over half of Gary's population without electricity.

Governor Mike Braun asked FEMA for an expedited major disaster declaration covering 54 counties, saying the damage could exceed $5 billion and that the declaration would bring additional resources for recovery.

"If granted, this declaration will mean significantly more resources to accelerate Indiana's recovery from the recent severe weather," Braun wrote on social media.

A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO), alleging the utility failed to trim vegetation near power lines, a factor the suit says contributed to the outages. NIPSCO responded that its vegetation-management spending has more than doubled since 2016 and disputed the allegations.

"We strongly disagree with the characterization of NIPSCO's vegetation management practices," the company said.

Gary Mayor Eddie Milton said the city will review emergency-management procedures and urged greater accountability from the utility. Residents have been using a community center for meals, air conditioning and phone charging while awaiting restoration of service.