Severe storms leave some northwest Indiana residents scrambling for gas amid power outages
Severe storms leave northwest Indiana residents scrambling for gas
Tuesday’s severe storms caused widespread damage across northwest Indiana, leaving residents scrambling for fuel as they cope with the aftermath. Crowds were seen gathering at local gas stations to fill up their vehicles and secure gasoline amid the ongoing recovery.
INDIANA - Storm damage is widespread across Munster and other parts of northwest Indiana after severe weather swept through on Tuesday.
Severe weather leaves behind heavy damage in Indiana
The backstory:
On Briar Lane and throughout the surrounding Knickerbocker neighborhood, trees are down across streets and yards.
Residents say large trees blocked roads throughout the neighborhood. Anyone with a chainsaw quickly got to work, cutting through fallen trees and clearing them from the streets.
But there is one big surprise: Despite the number and size of the fallen trees, homes in the neighborhood largely escaped severe damage. Many of those trees could have crashed through roofs or caused serious injuries.
As of Tuesday night, power is still out across much of northwest Indiana. Cellphone service is also down in some areas, and other communication systems remain unreliable.
Traffic is moving at a crawl, resembling a Chicago rush hour. With traffic lights out, getting around is slow. Many residents are searching for food, supplies and gasoline, but few businesses are open.
The parking lot at Strack & Van Til is packed with cars, while long lines have formed at gas stations and fast-food restaurants that are open.
Residents across northwest Indiana face days of hard work clearing fallen trees and potentially an even longer wait for power to be restored.
What's next:
Still, amid the widespread damage and disruption, many residents say they feel fortunate.
It could have been much worse.
The Source: The information in this article was reported by FOX Chicago's Joanie Lum.