Nine days after a historic derecho tore through Northwest Indiana, tens of thousands of Gary residents are still waking up without power. Utility officials now say full restoration may not come until next Tuesday, nearly two weeks after the storm first hit.
What happened
The storm system slammed into the region on Aug. 11, registering wind gusts of 99 mph at Gary/Chicago International Airport. The National Weather Service classified it as a derecho — a fast-moving band of destructive, straight-line winds — and the same system spawned confirmed tornadoes elsewhere across the area. At its peak, the damage triggered the largest outage event in the history of Northern Indiana Public Service Co. (NIPSCO), knocking out power to more than 300,000 customers, over 60% of the utility's entire customer base.
The human toll has been significant: seven deaths across the state have been linked to the storm and its aftermath, including a 4-year-old boy, according to Indiana's Department of Homeland Security. In Gary alone, roughly 300 utility poles and 44 transmission poles were damaged or destroyed, requiring full replacement rather than repair.
Where things stand now
As of Thursday morning, NIPSCO reported about 63,500 customers still without power across Northwest Indiana. Gary has consistently carried the heaviest burden of any single community, with 20,000 to 27,000 residents still in the dark as of midweek, and now holds the latest restoration target of any city on NIPSCO's list: 11:59 p.m. next Tuesday, Aug. 25 — a full ten days after the storm knocked the lights out.
By comparison, neighboring communities are on faster timelines: Dyer and East Chicago are slated for restoration by Aug. 20; Griffith, Hobart and Merrillville by Aug. 21; Hammond, Highland, Schererville and Whiting by Aug. 22; Lake Station by Aug. 23; and Munster by Aug. 24. Gary and Portage are last on the list.
Gary is Indiana's largest Black-majority city. U.S. Census data puts the population at roughly 67,000 residents, about 76% of whom identify as Black. The length of the outage there, relative to surrounding towns, has become its own point of frustration and scrutiny among residents.
Living through it
For many families, the outage has meant more than a week without air conditioning during late-summer heat, spoiled food, and scrambling to keep medical equipment running. Gary resident Kia Anderson, who has five children, two of whom rely on breathing machines, told reporters she has spent nearly everything she has just trying to keep her family safe without power. Cynthia Hunter, who has now gone ten days without electricity, described sleeping in her car some nights just to stay cool: "It's hard, guys. It's really, really hard."
Even residents whose homes escaped structural damage haven't been spared repeat outages. In nearby Whiting, 74-year-old Myra Carden said her property came through the storm essentially untouched, yet she lost power twice — once for more than two days and again this week — despite repeated outage reports to NIPSCO.
Residents have turned increasingly to social media, especially TikTok, to document conditions and press for faster answers, with some saying their situation is being overlooked relative to other storm-hit communities.
Response and resources
Gary Mayor Eddie Melton has acknowledged residents' frustration publicly, and NiSource (NIPSCO's parent company) executive Melody Birmingham confirmed Gary has the largest number of customers still waiting for power of any city in the state. Indiana Gov. Mike Braun has deployed the Indiana National Guard, State Police, the Department of Correction and the Department of Natural Resources to help clear debris and open routes for repair crews.
Braun also announced grants of up to $5,000 for storm victims to cover essentials like food and clothing. Residents can apply through Indiana's August 2026 disaster hub at https://on.in.gov/August2026Disaster or by calling 211 (or 866-211-9966). The City of Gary is posting recovery updates at https://www.gary.gov/stormrecovery, and non-emergency neighborhood issues can go through Gary 311 at https://www.gary.gov/311. Check restoration status on NIPSCO's outage map at https://www.nipsco.com/outages.
People who want to help can donate to American Red Cross Disaster Relief at https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation.html or volunteer at https://www.redcross.org/volunteer/become-a-volunteer.html. Feeding Indiana's Hungry lists food banks across the state at https://www.feedingindianashungry.org/. SNAP households that lost food to the outage may request replacement benefits through the FSSA Benefits Portal at https://fssabenefits.in.gov/.
The outage has also disrupted the start of the school year: Gary Community School Corporation has kept schools closed as the district navigates storm damage and the ongoing lack of power. In the meantime, residents have been relying on community centers for hot meals, phone-charging stations and relief from the heat.
What's next
NIPSCO crews continue working around the clock, but the utility has cautioned that Gary and Portage remain on the longest timeline of any community in its service territory. For now, families like Anderson's and Hunter's are left counting days, not hours, until the lights come back on.
This is a developing story. Restoration timelines are subject to change; check NIPSCO's outage map for the latest updates. Sources: ABC News, WTHR, CBS News Chicago, Chicago Sun-Times, NewsOne, Ballerlert/Black Information Network, Indiana Department of Homeland Security, and the City of Gary.
Why this matters: Gary is Indiana's largest Black-majority city, and it is last on the utility's restoration list. How long a Black city waits in the dark — and whether aid actually reaches families keeping medical equipment running — is an equity story, not a weather brief.