Gary, Indiana Faces 11-Day Blackout After Severe Storms
Residents of Gary, Indiana, and surrounding areas are enduring an 11-day power outage following a derecho that struck on August 11, 2026. Over 33,000 people remain without electricity as of August 22, despite efforts by the Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) to restore power. The storm initially left 341,000 customers in the dark, and while significant progress has been made, full restoration is not expected until August 25. Indiana Governor Mike Braun has declared a statewide disaster emergency and mobilized the National Guard. He has also secured a presidential emergency declaration, unlocking $5 million in federal aid. However, local faith leaders and community advocates are urging the state to allocate additional resources and investigate the prolonged outage, which has left families struggling with food shortages, medical needs, and financial losses. (Source time: 2026-08-22 17:00 ET) 
