INDIANAPOLIS — The president of NIPSCO apologized to the people of Gary and others on Tuesday for not including their cities in a plan that it published to restore power days after the Aug. 11 storm. The company did not intend to deprioritize those cities, which included Portage, Lake Station, and Griffith, but did not […]
storm recovery
Gary is recovering from a historic storm that left thousands without power for days. Follow Capital B Gary for updates, resources and reporting on the storm’s ongoing impact.
Posted inCommunity
Gary Residents Have 4 Days Left to Get FEMA Help in Person
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is in Gary, offering a one-stop shop for Northwest Indiana residents affected by the Aug. 11 storm. The recovery center is at McBride Hall in United Steelworkers Local 1014, 1301 Texas St., Gary. State and federal officials will be available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Friday, Oct. 2. […]
Posted inEducation, Politics & Policy, Public Services, Utilities
NIPSCO Ordered to Answer for Weekslong Power Outage in Gary
Gary residents can finally expect to get more detailed answers to their questions about why the Aug. 11 storm knocked out power in the city for more than two weeks, after a state commission launched an investigation of NIPSCO this week. The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission is demanding that NIPSCO answer the biggest questions that […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Utilities
Gary Pauses Data Center Development for a Year After Residents Raise Concerns
Just months after Gary residents packed a Common Council forum to raise alarms about the prospect of data centers in the city, Mayor Eddie Melton has issued an executive order to pause new data center development in the city for one year. Gary currently has no data centers that operate within its city limits. The […]
Posted inCommunity, Extreme Weather, Politics & Policy, Utilities
Gary Residents Survived a Historic Blackout by Turning to One Another
It was a regular Tuesday for Adriana Harris. She had just left breakfast and stopped at a gas station on the way home when the sky went white. “It started pouring down, raining like crazy,” she said. “Everything turned white. The rain was so hard you couldn’t even see the pumps.” She and her boyfriend […]
Posted inExtreme Weather, Public Services, Utilities
Federal Disaster Aid Is Now Available to Gary Residents Recovering From the Storm
Gary residents affected by the powerful Aug. 11 storm that knocked out power in much of the region for roughly weeks may soon get the help they need. Shortly after speaking this week with Gary Mayor Eddie Melton and U.S. Sen. Jim Banks of Indiana, President Donald Trump approved a major disaster declaration for the […]
Posted inCommunity, Extreme Weather, Public Services, Utilities
Churches, a Lawsuit and the Governor Are Pressuring NIPSCO After Gary’s Blackout
As power slowly returns to homes and businesses in Gary and across Northwest Indiana, Black faith leaders and elected officials alike are turning their focus to restoration, accountability, and solutions for future weather events. Fewer than 2,500 NIPSCO customers in Gary remained without power as of Tuesday morning, but that is more than 70% of […]
Posted inCommunity, Extreme Weather
I Grew Up in Gary. I’ve Never Seen a Power Outage Like This.
I’ve experienced dozens of power outages growing up in Gary. But usually an outage had boundaries. A neighborhood, a section of a city, or maybe part of a county. You could drive a few miles and eventually find light again. But last Tuesday, as my wife and I drove through Merrillville, Hobart, and Portage in […]
Posted inPublic Services, Utilities
How 99 MPH Winds Left Gary in the Dark for Nearly Two Weeks
A 99 mph wind gust — comparable to a Category 2 hurricane — tore through Gary on Aug. 11, battering neighborhoods and knocking out power to nearly 38,300 utility customers in the city. Ten days later, about 20,000 NIPSCO customers remained without electricity Friday morning. That’s nearly half of the roughly 43,000 customers still without […]
Posted inCommunity, Public Safety, Utilities
After 8 Days Without Power, Thousands in Gary Could Face Another Week in the Dark
Eight days after a historic storm knocked out power to most of Gary, a NIPSCO official announced that the utility is targeting 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, to fully restore power to the city. For some Gary residents, that could mean nearly two weeks without electricity. Melody Birmingham, executive vice president and utilities group president […]
