Gary Mayor Blasts NIPSCO as 10,187 Outages Linger 12 Days After 90 mph Derecho

Q: What really caused the shocking gunfire that halted Gary's power restoration, and how did it affect desperate residents waiting in the dark?

The gunfire appears to have been a criminal shooting at or near a NIPSCO crew vehicle, not a failure of the power system itself. Police said two NIPSCO employees were surveying storm damage in Gary when someone fired on their Jeep in the 200 block of Rutledge Street early Saturday. The vehicle was hit at least twice, including a bullet lodged in a headrest, but no workers were injured. Investigators had not publicly identified a suspect or motive, and officials said they were still trying to determine whether the shooting was targeted or random. The immediate effect was a temporary halt to restoration work in Gary while NIPSCO coordinated with law enforcement and reviewed security measures. The utility said crew activity was paused after the overnight incident and then resumed later Saturday after coordination with police. Mayor Eddie Melton condemned the shooting and said additional Indiana State Police troopers would help protect utility workers. For residents already enduring days without electricity after the Aug. 11 derecho, the shooting deepened frustration and fear. Many had already lost food, business income, phone service and normal routines, and some were coping with dark streets, safety concerns, heat, trouble refrigerating medication, and school disruptions. Even though the pause was brief, it threatened to further delay repairs for a city where tens of thousands had already been waiting in the dark far longer than expected.

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 24

10,187 customers in Gary were still without power Monday morning after more than 14,500 outages Sunday, prompting Mayor Eddie Melton to call the 12-day disruption “unacceptable” and press NIPSCO to restore service by Tuesday.
90 mph straight-line winds from the Aug. 11 derecho toppled trees onto power lines, and outages had peaked at 374,500 across the region; Gary now has 700 lineworkers and 300 vegetation crews on restoration work.
NIPSCO says Gary may not see full service until Tuesday even after ComEd sent crews to help, while Governor Mike Braun said the utility needs to “pick up the pace” despite National Guard and state agency support.
Residents have filed a proposed class-action lawsuit accusing NIPSCO of failing to trim trees, an allegation the utility denies as it points to vegetation-management spending that has more than doubled since 2016.
$30,000 in relief supplies from Keith Lee and Tyrese Haliburton was set for distribution Monday as the city also hired three contractors for damage assessment, debris collection and debris removal.