Indiana residents frustrated amid 10-day power outage following storms
More than 70,000 people in northwestern Indiana are without power more than a week after a series of storms downed trees, knocked out power lines and flooded neighborhoods. Local officials are scrambling to restore electricity as frustrated residents accuse them of not doing enough. Stephanie Sy reports.
A recent series of storms have left over 70,000 residents in northwestern Indiana without power for more than a week, causing significant frustration among the affected population. As of day 10, Gary, Indiana, remains the hardest hit with around 20,000 customers still in the dark. The storms, which occurred on August 11, brought 100-mile-an-hour winds and knocked out power lines, flooding neighborhoods, and damaging trees across the region.
Local officials are working tirelessly to restore electricity, but the complex nature of the repairs has slowed down the process, with some transmission lines needing complete replacement. Eddie Melton, Mayor of Gary, Indiana, has assured residents that the city is providing meals, tarps, and charging stations to those in need. NiSource Utilities President, Melody Birmingham, emphasized that race and socioeconomic status are not factors in the recovery efforts, but the anger among residents is palpable.
Griffith, Indiana, residents expressed their concerns during a town hall, particularly those with health conditions reliant on refrigerated medication. Despite the efforts, the region expects full power restoration by next Tuesday.
Written by urgent.news from PBS NewsHour's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
