Gary residents pray as power outage enters third week
Nearly 5,000 homes in Northwest Indiana remain without electricity three weeks after storms, prompting a prayer gathering at a local church and criticism of utility provider NIPSCO.
Around 5,000 residences in the Gary area have been without power for three weeks following severe storms on Aug. 11. On Monday night, community members gathered at the Tree of Life Missionary Baptist Church, where they prayed and listened to city officials and pastors discuss the ongoing outage.
Mayor Eddie Melton addressed the crowd, saying his talks with NIPSCO have shifted from asking when power will be restored to how the utility plans to improve preparedness for future severe weather. He expressed frustration over what he described as a lack of transparency from the company.
"I want to make it perfectly clear that I worked for NIPSCO for 15 years. It doesn’t take that long to turn the lights back on," Melton said.
Pastor Dyke Lee of the First Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church called for better management of trees and foliage that have damaged power lines, adding that the community needs a clear plan to mitigate future damage.
"We’re praying there’s a plan moving forward to take care of the green and the trees so we can be more prepared," Lee said.
NIPSCO indicated on its website that power should be restored in Munster and Lake Station by the end of Monday and in Gary and Portage by the end of Tuesday. State officials have requested disaster relief from FEMA, and Governor Mike Braun has asked the state utility watchdog to investigate NIPSCO. The governor also announced state aid, including $5,000 per displaced family for basic needs and housing vouchers.
The meeting also highlighted broader concerns, including recent cuts to SNAP benefits and the importance of upcoming midterm elections for residents facing ongoing hardship.