NIPSCO Restores 99% of Gary Power After 100-Mph Derecho Caused Historic Grid Damage
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 1
NIPSCO Restores 99% of Gary Power After 100-Mph Derecho Caused Historic Grid Damage
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 1
Summary
99% of affected NIPSCO customers in Gary, Indiana, now have power back after an Aug. 11 derecho left more than 20,000 customers without electricity.
Winds of 70 to more than 100 mph toppled trees into lines and poles, with a 99 mph gust recorded at Gary/Chicago International Airport; NIPSCO said the storm caused historic regional damage.
The utility cited roughly 300 damaged distribution poles and 44 damaged transmission poles, while some remaining customers still need repairs to privately owned equipment before reconnecting.
Thousands of residents endured nearly two weeks without air conditioning, refrigeration or phone charging, disrupting homes and businesses across one of the hardest-hit communities in Northwest Indiana.
The outage has also intensified scrutiny of tree-trimming and grid preparedness, with a proposed lawsuit raising those issues as NIPSCO says it increased vegetation-management spending.