NIPSCO outage leaves hundreds of thousands without power across northwest Indiana

HIGHLAND, Ind. - A massive power outage is leaving hundreds of thousands of people across northwest Indiana without electricity — and residents say they're struggling to find generators, gasoline and other supplies as they wait for the power to come back on.

Massive power outage from storms continues across NW Indiana

The backstory:

NIPSCO says approximately 302,000 of its roughly 500,000 electric customers were affected by the storm, which the utility describes as the most significant storm event in its history.

The utility says winds reached up to 124 mph in some areas, bringing down trees, power lines and utility poles while damaging substations and blocking roadways.

NIPSCO says crews are still uncovering additional damage as they assess the widespread destruction across northern Indiana.

The damage is also creating a major demand for generators and gasoline.

At the Lowe's in Schereville, residents described waiting in long lines and driving hours outside the area in search of supplies. 

Moses Lopez, who lives in Hammond, said a tree fell in front of his home and ripped the electrical connection from the house. He said he now needs an electrician to rewire the home before NIPSCO can reconnect the power.

"We need a helping hand right now. We don't need no negativity. We need a helping hand. We're the neighbors. Come and help us," said Lopez.

He said he eventually had to travel into Illinois to find a generator after striking out at stores closer to home. Other residents described similar struggles. 

Nee Addy said his family has been without power since the storm and that food in their refrigerator was beginning to spoil. Addy said he had been driving around northwest Indiana trying to find a generator and was considering going back into Illinois to find one.

Nikola Petrovic of Munster said his family was also searching for a generator after learning stores had run out. Petrovic said his family had a small generator from relatives, but it was not powerful enough to run the entire house.

"You know, everywhere we go, there's no solution," said Petrovic.

He also said his family had to drive to Calumet City to find gasoline because nearby gas stations were packed.

NIPSCO's response:

NIPSCO says its employees have been working around the clock and that it has mobilized every available resource.

The utility says mutual assistance crews from across the region are helping with restoration, while more than 1,200 contractors are being deployed into affected communities.

NIPSCO says crews must first assess damage, remove hazards, clear debris and repair or rebuild infrastructure before power can safely be restored.

The utility says some crews are working around downed trees, flooding, debris, blocked roads and damaged facilities.

When will it be restored?:

That's still unclear. NIPSCO says it is not currently able to provide specific estimated restoration times, saying the extent of the damage makes it difficult to provide estimates that may ultimately prove inaccurate. 

The utility says it will provide restoration timelines once it has enough damage assessment information to do so with confidence. NIPSCO added some communities should expect a multi-day restoration effort. 

NIPSCO said crews will continue working until every customer has been restored.

For people without power, the uncertainty is adding to the frustration. Lopez said this is the worst power outage he's experienced after living through numerous storms. He also expressed concern for elderly residents, people who are sick and anyone who depends on medication that needs to be refrigerated.

"I just hope that everything gets situated ... just to help your neighbor, help your neighbor," said Lopez.

For now, residents say they're doing whatever they can to get through the outage — even if that means driving across state lines for gasoline, generators and other supplies.