Power restoration in NW Indiana could take until next week, NIPSCO says

GARY, Ind. (WLS) — Eight days after a historic storm in Northwest Indiana, tens of thousands of customers remain without power, according to Northern Indiana Public Service Company leaders in Gary.

NIPSCO said restoration efforts are being slowed by unique challenges.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

“These aren’t simple repairs. These are lines that ordinarily take us, and systems that ordinarily take weeks or months that we are trying to accomplish in days or weeks,” NiSource Group Utilities President Melody Birmingham said.

Birmingham said crews are working around the clock. The company has also brought in assistance from out of state.

Utility trucks from Jacksonville, Florida were spotted in Munster.

SEE ALSO: Track power outages in your area with the ABC7 Chicago Power Outage Tracker

Damage there and in neighboring Highland remains extensive. Roads are still lined with debris more than a week after the deadly storm. The estimated restoration timeline has been pushed from Wednesday to next Tuesday.

Residents in the affected neighborhoods continue to seek temporary solutions. One man posted a sign asking utility workers to stop at his house next.

Many residents have gone to a Home Depot in Hammond to purchase generators. One woman said she spent $900 on a generator and has since spent hundreds more on fuel.

“We’re all exhausted,” Barb Light said. “My husband still has to go to work, and I’m just thankful we have a generator right now. Because if we didn’t have that, it would be super hot in our house because we went out and bought fans and a portable air conditioner.”

Light said she wants better communication from NIPSCO. A company representative said she hears the criticism and called the concern valid.

Gary Mayor Eddie Melton said former NBA player Glenn Robinson donated $100,000 to help those affected.

For many residents, the extended outage has become increasingly difficult.

“We have no gas, no restaurants, no power. Now, we had to throw away everything at all refrigerators. And night is like Gotham City. You can’t see anything,” Gary resident Brittany Bankhead said.

As residents wait for service to be restored, some say the outages are also taking a financial toll. Bankhead said a utility bill arrived while her home remained without power.

“NIPSCO is expensive. I’m running about $600 bill a month and I’m a single parent of two,” she said.

The prolonged outage is also prompting broader concerns from some Gary residents about the utility’s ability to meet the area’s power needs.

“They need another energy provider to help them out. Their case load is too heavy,” Gary resident Thomas Payton said.

Payton said he believes customers are not receiving service that matches the rates they are paying.

“They keep asking for increases, but the service is not increasing and it’s just unfair,” he said.

NIPSCO leaders said they hear customers’ concerns and are working as quickly and safely as possible to restore power.