An online power restoration timeline by NIPSCO, which initially excluded Gary, led to public concern and a press conference called by Mayor Eddie Melton. Since August 11, a storm caused significant outages, affecting 301,000 NIPSCO customers. As of 11 a.m. Thursday, 64,017 customers remained without power, including 25,560 in Gary.

At the press conference, Melody Birmingham, president of the Utilities Group at NiSource, joined Mayor Melton to discuss the restoration progress. NiSource is NIPSCO’s parent company. She provided an estimated restoration time for the coming Tuesday, amidst growing frustration as neighboring cities began recovering and some schools reopened. In Gary, certain areas regained power, and the 21st Century Charter School resumed classes.

We learned from COVID that being open is best for students… The families really appreciated us being open,

said Kevin Teasley, president of the GEO Foundation.

However, schools in Gary Community School Corp. remained closed due to power outages. Mayor Melton emphasized that Gary is not neglected, stating that repair crews have been dedicatedly working since the storm started.

I want to be clear. Gary has not been left behind, he said, We have support. We have had linemen working every single day throughout this entire storm.

Birmingham explained the storm, with 99 mph winds, caused extensive damage in Gary, creating complex repair scenarios that usually take weeks or months. Efforts are focused on accelerating this process.

She acknowledged residents’ frustrations, especially with power restored elsewhere. She empathized with the challenges faced, such as food spoilage and rising home temperatures, understanding it’s a burden.

Approximately 17,000 homes in Gary have regained power. The National Weather Service reported that Gary experienced winds reaching 99 mph, similar to a Category 2 hurricane. A comprehensive damage assessment preceding repairs covered around 2,000 miles of the system. Workers found 291 utility poles and 44 transmission poles required significant repairs or replacements, along with 27 source outages at substations.

Birmingham dismissed the impact of an incident on August 14 when shots were fired at workers trying to restore power. No one was injured, and the police treated it as isolated. Deputy Police Chief Brian Evans stated that the incident didn’t halt operations significantly, as support from external workers continued.

Before the press conference, Birmingham and officials met with local clergy who held a vigil at City Hall, expressing concerns and seeking answers from NIPSCO. City on the Hill Pastor Antoine Goffin organized the event, which involved 82 attendees praying for solutions.

I saw a lot of things going on in the city and a lot of frustration, said Goffin, What better way to deal with the situation than to get answers in prayer.

The clergy emphasized the need for clear communication from NIPSCO to reduce misinformation and frustration. Goffin highlighted that restoration efforts were determined by infrastructure needs, not socio-economic factors.

Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.