Chicago-area storm recovery: South suburbs ask for federal aid; NW Indiana power outages continue
NIPSCO faces backlash; at least 7 storm-related deaths across Indiana as Trump approves Presidential Emergency Declaration
CHICAGO (WLS) -- At least seven storm-related deaths have been reported across Indiana as of Sunday as power outages repairs in northwest Indiana continue following strong storms and flooding last week.
Many people in the Chicago area are still recovering from the damage, including Lansing, Illinois.
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Three of the Indiana storm-related deaths were in the Chicago area, in Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties, and the others were in other parts of the state.
The state was hit with historic rainfall. Several rivers burst their banks.
In northwest Indiana, nearly 150,000 customers were still without power as of Sunday afternoon.
Indiana Governor Mike Braun declared a statewide disaster emergency Friday. On Saturday, President Donald Trump approved his request for a Presidential Emergency Declaration.
Saturday evening, FEMA announced "federal disaster assistance is available to the state of Indiana to supplement state, tribal and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding beginning on August 11, 2026, and continuing."
Less than a week after tornadoes and severe weather tore through the Southland, elected officials, residents and community leaders gathered in Lansing to call for federal assistance, saying storm-ravaged communities cannot recover on their own. The push comes as neighboring Indiana has already secured federal disaster assistance while Illinois continues moving through the approval process.
Standing alongside fellow Southland mayors, Lansing Mayor Brian Hardy described widespread destruction across his community.
"I don't care what block you go down. You're going to see destruction," Hardy said.
Hardy said residents are dealing with damaged homes, infrastructure and extensive debris following multiple rounds of severe weather.
"You're going to see trees and homes uprooted, trees, sidewalks, streets, curbs, infrastructure that's damaged," he said.
Hardy's message to federal officials was brief and direct: "We need help."
Residents say the latest storms hit before many families had fully recovered from a July tornado. Lansing resident Lisa Sullivan said additional resources are urgently needed.
"We need the help. We need it now. We need them boots on the ground," Sullivan said. "We're asking, regardless of whatever political party you are affiliated with, for them to all show up and to support the community."
The storm's effects stretch beyond Lansing.
In Flossmoor, clean-up efforts remain underway after another round of severe weather struck a community already dealing with storm damage from previous storms.
Mayor Michelle Nelson said recovery continues to be a challenge despite assistance from neighboring communities and agencies.
"Progress is incredibly slow. The damage is so great and the vegetation is so dense that we need more help and we need it now. We can't wait," Nelson said.
At Sunday's news conference, Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller said disaster aid should not be treated as a political issue.
"Disaster assistance is not a favor from the president. It's not a political reward. It's a commitment that our federal government makes to every American in a time of need," Miller said.
Miller also said Southland communities cannot shoulder recovery costs alone and called on federal officials to evaluate damage in the region.
"We are in need here in the Southland," she said.
U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, who represents Illinois' 2nd Congressional District and said she was personally affected by the storms, echoed those calls.
"People need help and that's how we need to look at it, not which state you live in or how you vote," Kelly said.
Kelly said local communities have worked together throughout the recovery process, with municipalities sharing resources and personnel to assist one another.
At the same time local officials are seeking outside assistance, communities across the Southland are organizing their own relief efforts.
In Lynwood, the village hosted a food truck event offering free meals to residents affected by the storms.
Mayor Jada Curry said the gathering was designed to bring neighbors together after a difficult and emotional week.
"Most of my residents haven't seen anything like this ever before, and they hope to never see it again," Curry said. "And so we want to make sure that they know are loved, that we're thinking of them, that we're providing resource to them."
Officials said the event also served as an opportunity for residents to connect with one another and access support as recovery continues.
South suburban leaders said they will continue pushing for federal assistance, arguing communities on both sides of the Illinois-Indiana border experienced significant storm damage and should have access to available recovery resources.
ABC7 Chicago reached out to the White House for comment but had not received a response as of Sunday evening.
RELATED | Track power outages in your area with the ABC7 Chicago Power Outage Tracker
Meanwhile, a homeowner in Crown Point, Indiana, is demanding answers from NIPSCO after claiming a dangerous power line was left hanging in standing water for days since last week's severe storms.
Dinno Jahovic says the hazard on Wells Street was first reported to NIPSCO on Tuesday. He says he made additional calls Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, but that no one showed up to fix it.
Overnight Saturday to Sunday, power was restored to the neighborhood, and the same line started sparking and caught fire along the driveway. Jahovic says a fire also broke out in a neighbor's yard.
No one was hurt in the incident, but Jahovic wants an investigation into why his repeated calls for help were not addressed before power was restored.
NIPSCO said Sunday that they were notified of the fire, and sent workers to the site to help first responders.
Dyer, Indiana officials said they are frustrated with NIPSCO's response to northwest Indiana power outages due to last week's storms.
Meanwhile, NIPSCO had to temporarily pause some of its storm restoration work in northwest Indiana after a crew's vehicle was hit by gunfire on Friday night, officials said.
Gary Mayor Eddie Melton confirmed that gunfire hit a vehicle belonging to a NIPSCO utility crew who were working to restore power to residents. Melton said no one was injured, and police are investigating.
The company said it temporarily paused storm restoration activities involving crews in Gary after the "serious incident." Work in the area resumed Saturday evening.
"Let me be clear: this type of violence is absolutely unacceptable and will not be tolerated in the City of Gary," said Melton. "These crews are here for one reason-to help our residents and restore electricity to families who have already endured days without power."
NIPSCO issued a statement, saying, "NIPSCO is aware of a serious incident overnight in Gary involving our crews supporting our ongoing storm restoration efforts. We are working closely with law enforcement and gathering additional information. The safety of our employees, contractors and the communities we serve remains our highest priority. We are grateful that no injuries have been reported. In response to this incident, storm restoration activities involving crews have been temporarily paused in the city of Gary while we work with law enforcement and evaluate appropriate security measures to ensure the safety of our responders. We thank our employees, contractors, mutual assistance crews and law enforcement partners for their continued dedication and support during this historic restoration effort. Restoration work continues across northern Indiana, and we will provide additional information as it becomes available. We appreciate the patience and understanding of Gary residents as we take steps to ensure restoration efforts can continue safely."
Melton said the city is coordinating with NIPSCO, the Gary Police Department, the Indiana State Police, and state officials to ensure crews have the protection necessary to safely resume their restoration work. Indiana State Police is deploying additional troopers to help local departments.
Some Gary residents who have been without electricity since Tuesday say they are frustrated after learning that power restoration efforts were temporarily paused due to the incident.
This week's storms led to the cancellation of next weekend's Gary Air Show. The organizers say the need for first responders to assist in the cleanup is more important than the show happening this year. They hope to be back next summer.
In Chicago, weather conditions delayed the city's Air and Water Show on Saturday and Sunday.
The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events said producers worked with the Federal Aviation Administration to assess flight conditions and ensure the safety of performing acts, attendees and event staff.
FULL FORECAST | Chicago weather: Scattered storms, showers Sunday
More storms had been forecast to hit the Chicago area between 3 a.m. and 8 a.m. Sunday.
Once that morning rain moved out on, the rest of the day looked mostly dry with highs in the low 80s. Next week's forecast offers limited rain chances, bringing some relief to areas hit hard by Tuesday's storms.
Residents whose homes suffered storm damage Tuesday and Wednesday in Cook County are being asked to complete an online survey by Aug. 24.
