Thousands in Northwest Indiana Still Without Power 10 Days After Derecho
Tens of thousands of electric customers remained without power in northwestern Indiana more than a week after a powerful derecho swept through the region on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, according to the Northern Indiana Public Service Company. The severe thunderstorm complex brought down trees and power lines, damaged homes, and produced wind gusts reaching 99 mph in Gary, Indiana, according to data from AccuWeather.
Class-Action Lawsuit Filed Against NIPSCO
As outages stretched past ten days, a class-action lawsuit was filed against the Northern Indiana Public Service Company, according to ABC7 Chicago.
In Gary and Portage, full power restoration is not expected until Tuesday, August 25, according to NIPSCO. The utility reported that repair operations suffered an additional setback Friday morning after a transmission equipment failure created new outages in select areas.
Residents and Communities Respond to Extended Blackouts
High temperatures reached the 80s on most days following the storm, with overnight lows lingering in the upper 60s and lower 70s, leaving homes uncomfortably warm. “We’re trying to maintain, but it’s not easy,” Gary resident Cynthia Hunter told CBS News, noting that her household charged phones in their car and spent nights sleeping in vehicles to escape the indoor heat.
Local organizations and community groups deployed to provide hot meals, basic supplies, and mobile charging stations for residents waiting for service to return. In Hammond, residents across eight homes sought answers from NIPSCO as power lines surrounded their neighborhood while their specific properties remained dark, according to local reporting from nwitimes.com.
School Closures and Infrastructure Repairs
The prolonged outages forced Gary-area schools to remain closed for more than a week. The Gary Community School Corporation stated that building assessments, repairs, and safety checks were underway to prepare for a safe return.
Crews continued working around the clock to repair a battered power grid that required the replacement of hundreds of power poles and dozens of transmission structures. Forecasts indicated that cooler, less humid conditions would arrive Sunday, bringing daytime highs into the 70s and overnight lows down into the upper 50s.