Environment & Climate

Gary, Indiana, power largely restored after August storm triggers widespread outages and criticism

Utility company NIPSCO faced backlash from state and local officials over a multi-week power restoration process following a severe Midwest storm.

Updated Aug 27, 2026 · 00:18 UTC2 reports

The short version

Power has been substantially restored to Gary, Indiana, after an Aug. 11 derecho and tornadoes cut electricity to about 375,000 regional utility customers.
The severe weather resulted in seven deaths across Indiana and caused prolonged disruptions to residents, healthcare, and schools.
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun and Gary Mayor Eric Melton criticized utility company NIPSCO's response, leading to calls for an official investigation.

An Aug. 11 storm system featuring a derecho with 70 to 100-plus mph winds and tornadoes cut power to approximately 375,000 NIPSCO customers, representing 80% of its customer base.[Electrek · NBC News]
Official reports confirmed seven storm-related fatalities in Indiana, including one death in Lake County, where Gary is located.[NBC News]
NIPSCO announced that broad restoration efforts were substantially complete by Aug. 26, with fewer than 250 outages remaining in Gary.[Electrek · NBC News]
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun criticized NIPSCO's performance, called for an investigation, and announced that President Donald Trump approved a major disaster declaration for the state.[NBC News]

Some residents questioned whether racial demographics contributed to Gary being among the last areas fully restored; a NIPSCO executive denied this, stating outage order was strictly based on where the storm hit.[Electrek · NBC News]