The city of Gary declared a local disaster emergency Wednesday after a powerful storm packing hurricane-force wind gusts tore through Northwest Indiana and parts of Illinois, causing widespread destruction, leaving thousands without electricity, and disrupting daily life across the region.
Tuesday’s severe weather produced wind gusts exceeding 100 mph, heavy rain, and lightning. The storm toppled trees, damaged homes and businesses, and knocked down power lines, leaving much of northern Indiana in the dark.
NIPSCO reported the largest outage event in the utility’s history. At its peak, approximately 301,000 of the company’s 500,000 electric customers lost power. The outages initially left roughly 95% of Lake County without electricity.
As of Wednesday afternoon, nearly 35,000 Gary customers remained without power, according to NIPSCO’s outage map.
The widespread outages effectively shut down much of the city. Nearly every gas station lost power, most traffic lights stopped working, and many grocery stores closed, forcing residents to drive miles in search of fuel, food, and other essentials.
“Our immediate priority is the safety and well-being of Gary residents,” Mayor Eddie Melton said in a statement Wednesday declaring the state of emergency. “We know many families and neighborhoods have been significantly impacted by this storm. Our emergency response teams and city departments are working to assess the damage, clear debris, address hazards and connect residents with the assistance they need.”
City officials said preliminary assessments found significant damage to homes, garages, schools, and other structures. Some buildings lost roofs, while others were blown from their foundations or damaged beyond repair. Fallen trees also damaged numerous vehicles.
The emergency declaration allows the city to continue clearing debris, removing hazardous structures, assisting residents, and coordinating with county, state, and federal partners during the recovery.
NIPSCO said crews worked overnight clearing fallen trees, repairing damaged infrastructure, responding to safety hazards, and assessing damage. The utility said restoration estimates are not yet available as crews continue assessing damage to transmission lines, substations, utility poles and distribution equipment across nearly its entire electric service territory.
Officials urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel, stay away from downed power lines, and report electrical hazards or gas leaks immediately. For status updates on outages in the area, visit NIPSCO’s website.
This story will be updated.
