Nipsco Leaves 30,000 Indiana Customers Without Power for 12 Days as Governor Demands Faster Repairs
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 23
Nipsco Leaves 30,000 Indiana Customers Without Power for 12 Days as Governor Demands Faster Repairs
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 23
Summary
Nearly 30,000 Nipsco customers were still without electricity Sunday, 12 days after severe 11 August storms battered Gary and nearby parts of Indiana; the utility said full restoration in Gary should come by Wednesday.
99mph wind gusts toppled trees and power lines in a storm that killed seven people across the Midwest, and residents say the prolonged outage has left them struggling for food, hygiene, refrigeration and medical needs.
Gary's hardship has been amplified by poverty in the city of about 70,000, prompting aid from World Central Kitchen and accounts of dark streets, unusable lifts and interrupted medical care.
A class-action lawsuit accuses Nipsco of failing to manage trees near lines, a claim the utility denies, while faith leaders and Governor Mike Braun say 12 days is too long and are pressing for more crews and federal disaster aid.