Nearly two weeks after deadly storms ravaged northwest Indiana, losses from the disaster could exceed $5 billion, Governor Mike Braun estimated, as frustration over prolonged outages intensified.
Just over 28,000 Nipsco customers remained without electricity on Sunday morning, down from a peak of 374,500 affected at the height of the 11 August storms. In Gary, where more than half the city lost power, the utility estimated restoration by Wednesday. The Trump administration granted an emergency declaration for affected counties, while a state relief fund is offering grants of up to $5,000. World Central Kitchen arrived to distribute food to residents without access.
A class-action lawsuit accuses Nipsco of failing to trim vegetation near power lines. The utility disputes the claim, saying its tree-management spending has more than doubled since 2016. Gary Mayor Eddie Milton said he would demand greater accountability from the company.