0 months ago
Indiana Residents Face Prolonged Power Outages and Flooding
A powerful storm knocked out electricity for many people in northwest Indiana.
Some residents had been without power for more than a week.
They had to throw away food, find hot meals and look for places to charge their phones.
Some people were also worried about heat, medical equipment and unsafe generators.
Schools stayed closed because some areas still had damage and safety problems.
Utility crews from around the country were working to repair the system.
In Columbus, Ohio, heavy rain caused flooding and rescuers helped people trapped in water.
Officials said recovery would continue despite the new flooding.
Volunteers and community groups helped neighbors with food and other supplies.
Tens of thousands in northwest Indiana remained without electricity after the Aug. 11 storm, with reports differing on whether the outage had reached its ninth or 11th day.
Northern Indiana Public Service Company said 68,000 customers were still without power Thursday and that some areas might not recover until Tuesday.
Residents in Gary and East Chicago reported spoiled food, disrupted work, limited cooling, charging difficulties and growing exhaustion.
Northwest Indiana schools remained closed because of outages, fallen trees and property damage, disrupting childcare and the start of the school year.
Heavy rain in Columbus, Ohio, caused flash flooding, rescues and more than 3 inches of rain within 12 hours.
- Who
- Residents, utility crews, schools, emergency responders and community organizations in Indiana and Ohio were affected.
- What
- A prolonged power outage continued in northwest Indiana while flash flooding struck Columbus, Ohio.
- Where
- Gary, East Chicago, Lake County and other parts of northwest Indiana, as well as Columbus, Ohio.
- When
- Thursday, following the Aug. 11 storm; some Indiana outages were expected to continue until Tuesday.
- Why
- The Indiana storm damaged trees, power lines, poles and other equipment; heavy rain caused flooding in Columbus.
Residents and Community Groups
Utility and Local Officials
Restoration and hardship
Residents and Community Groups
Residents said the prolonged outage caused spoiled groceries, lost income, discomfort, difficulty caring for vulnerable people and uncertainty about when conditions would improve.
Utility and Local Officials
Northern Indiana Public Service Company said the storm damage was unprecedented and widespread, reported ongoing restoration and brought in crews from around the country.
Reasons for Different Recovery Times
Residents and Community Groups
Residents experienced longer outages in parts of northwest Indiana and, in some East Chicago neighborhoods, power was restored and then lost again.
Utility and Local Officials
A NIPSCO executive said Illinois recovered sooner because of differences in trees, infrastructure and possibly buried power lines, adding that no service territory is the same.
Community Response
Residents and Community Groups
Residents sought food, charging locations, Wi-Fi and other assistance, while volunteers and community groups helped neighbors.
Utility and Local Officials
Officials and emergency crews focused on repairs, school safety and flood recovery, including rescues during the Columbus flooding.
Key facts
- Indiana customers without power
- Northern Indiana Public Service Company reported 68,000 customers without electricity Thursday morning.
- Indiana restoration
- The utility said it had restored power to 306,500 customers since Aug. 11.
- Expected restoration
- Some locations, including Gary, might not have full power until Tuesday.
- School disruption
- Gary schools, serving about 4,300 students, were closed through at least Friday; Portage Township planned to begin classes Aug. 25.
- Columbus rainfall
- More than 3 inches of rain fell in Columbus within 12 hours.
- Flood rescues
- Emergency crews rescued motorists and two women near a flooded creek and saved a 12-year-old bicyclist swept from a bridge.
- Reported outage duration
- The supplied headline describes an 11th day without power, while the article text describes a ninth day.
Quotes
Courtney Page-Tan
Indiana University Indianapolis professor who studies community resilience
“We’re always in survival mode in Gary. And I think that’s probably why it wasn’t so much of an uproar because the first few days, it was like, ‘OK, we’re used to this .... but this is the second week now. It’s not OK for us to continually be in survival mode, doing the best that we can.”
deccanchronicle.com
“Nine days is a long time for a community to be without power”
deccanchronicle.com
Andrew Ginther
Mayor of Columbus, Ohio
“We’ve been all hands on deck supporting residents since last week. We’re going to be focused on recovery, even with this curveball from Mother Nature.”
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
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