Many NW Indiana residents remain without power as recovery from last week's storms continues
NIPSCO faces backlash; at least 7 storm-related deaths across Indiana as Trump approves Presidential Emergency Declaration
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Tuesday marks one week since six tornadoes devastated the south suburbs and Northwest Indiana.
Monday, many Indiana communities want to know when the power will come back on.
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The power company said last Tuesday was the most destructive storm to the power grid in recent history.
The city of Gary and NIPSCO workers will be distributing food at the YWCA at noon.
Gary is among several Northwest Indiana communities that have been hit hard by outages, including Dyer, Merrillville and Hammond.
This comes as more than 100,000 customers are still without power.
People living in Gary, Indiana are still wrapping their heads around the destruction left behind following last week's powerful storms.
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Several trees were uprooted and crushed people's homes. Crews were out Monday morning removing down trees.
"I looked out the door, I saw the tree on the car.. I just closed the door, I didn't even want to process that right then," Gary resident Hampton Hinton said.
Hinton said his home was spared from the damage. But he joins thousands of people who have been without electricity for days.
"I had to throw out all my food out and the bad part about it, I had just went grocery shopping and bought a lot of stuff that I planned to barbecue for the rest of the summer," Hinton said.
The same goes for Annie Williams, who also lives in Gary. She's been using a generator in the meantime, as she waits for her power to be restored.
"It's hard getting around," Williams said. "I don't have a car because I have neuropathy, and I try to call people but the internet was down, so had to use my legs to buy a generator.
NIPSCO said back-to-back severe weather events left unprecedented damage to their electric system.
Aug. 11th's storm was one of the largest outage event in the company's history.
The company estimates that 90 percent of customers will have power restored by Tuesday, with everyone expected to be back online by Friday.
Indiana has been approved for federal disaster assistance, Williams hopes Gary receives some of that help.
"We just need to get some emergency assistance as soon as possible," Williams said.
The food distribution at the YWCA will go on until 6 p.m.
Monday, the city of Gary will pass out free cleaning supplies for those who have been affected by the storm.
Free cleanup supplies to residents affected by recent storms will be available beginning at 3 p.m., Monday, August 17, at the Hudson and Campbell Sports and Fitness Center in Gary.
