Ferocious overnight storms ripped through Northwest Indiana on Wednesday, snapping big trees, flooding basements and cutting electricity to thousands of homes across Gary, Griffith and Merrillville. By sunrise, residents were out with chainsaws and shop vacs while utility and city crews moved in to clear streets and check on damaged houses.
Power Out Across Lake County as Trees Topple Onto Homes
According to CBS News Chicago, NIPSCO reported more than 21,000 customers affected by outages on Thursday morning, including over 6,000 without power in Gary alone. Reporters documented large trees down near St. Mary Parish in Griffith, and crews found multiple homes with trees resting right on their roofs.
Utility Crews Racing to Restore Power
Per NIPSCO, residents are urged to report outages online or by texting "OUT" to 444111 and to call 1-800-4NIPSCO for electric emergencies. The utility says crews first tackle major transmission and distribution lines that can bring back service to the largest number of people and to critical facilities, then work their way down to smaller neighborhood lines.
Local Officials and Parish Leaders Take Stock
Griffith's council president said Thursday morning that crews were still making the rounds to assess how bad things were and had already found several flooded basements along with houses hit by falling trees. "I would like to say God was watching over everybody," a parish priest told CBS News Chicago, voicing residents' relief that there were no immediate reports of serious injuries.
Another Hit in a Stormy June
The latest round of severe weather follows a string of rough systems earlier this month, including a June 11 outbreak that produced multiple confirmed tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service in Chicago. Hoodline also covered the earlier Merrillville tornado in a June 12 piece titled "Twister Terror Slams Merrillville," underscoring how a busy stretch of severe weather has kept Northwest Indiana crews constantly on call.
Where Residents Can Report Damage and Seek Help
Homeowners dealing with storm damage may qualify for state assistance and are encouraged to file damage reports with Indiana 211, according to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. IDHS directs residents to call 866-211-9966 or use the state's 211 online portal as officials compile damage assessments that could factor into future relief programs.
Safety Tips While Crews Clear the Streets
Officials are reminding residents to steer clear of downed power lines, keep generators outdoors and away from windows, and treat any fallen line as if it is live, guidance that is echoed on NIPSCO. Municipal and utility crews continue to work through tree-clogged streets, and dispatchers are asking the public to reserve 911 for life-threatening emergencies and to send reports of noncritical damage to the hotlines listed above.
