Northwest Indiana residents grow frustrated as power outages stretch beyond a week after storms
Schererville downed power lines cause more outages; IL Gov. Pritzker waives penalties, interest for taxpayers affected by weather
LAKE COUNTY, Ind. (WLS) -- Frustration is mounting across northwest Indiana as some residents remain without electricity more than a week after severe storms damaged the region's power infrastructure.
Residents gathered for a food giveaway in Hammond on Thursday.
Meanwhile, in Schererville, officials said electrical wires were down Thursday near US 41 and Main Street, causing power outages for homes and traffic lights in the town.
NIPSCO confirmed it responded to downed power lines at the location. The incident caused additional power outages for about 9,000 customers in the area.
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"You can't cook," Lottie Boss said. "You don't have anything. You don't have gas. You don't have a stove. There's no electricity."
Boss helped organize the Hammond food giveaway, where hundreds of people lined up outside.
"Everything's not hot. But tonight, everything is hot here. Chicken, spaghetti, string beans, cake. Everything is made with love tonight," Boss said.
NIPSCO officials said crews were working around the clock. However, a setback occurred Thursday when 9,000 more customers lost power in the Schererville area. Witnesses reported seeing smoke coming from a power pole.
"We heard a pretty big boom, and then we started to look out and saw (the) power line go down, and then just saw a lot of smoke after that," said Kacie Kowalczyk, manager of James & Sons Fine Jewelers.
Across the street, Wendy Komacsar was inside a Ross store when the electricity went out.
"The lights started flickering in the store," Komacsar said. "It was scary. It's like everybody in the store is going, 'Oh no, not again.'"
Komacsar was among the NIPSCO customers who lost power at home again.
"This time, I'm a little more prepared," she said. "I was not prepared last time, you know, with chargers for my phone and all that kind of stuff."
NIPSCO officials said storm restoration efforts continued Thursday as crews also responded to the Schererville incident. There was no word Thursday night on the cause.
"I just wish we could do more," Boss said. "I wish we could do more."
She is planning another food giveaway to take place Friday.
As of Thursday afternoon, the NIPSCO outage map showed Gary and Portage expected to get power restored by Tuesday.
"They said now that our power will be back on next week, and you know that's kind of crazy because they did say our power will be back on Friday," said Shay Bolden, a Gary resident. "Like multiple other cities are back up and running."
Bolden, a mother of three, said her family has been without electricity for 10 days and is hoping service is restored soon.
As residents cope with the outages, local organizations have stepped in to provide assistance. The Salvation Army distributed free lunches to families affected by the storms.
"We're passing out box lunches, but they really need power to come back on because they have lost everything in their refrigerators," said Major Troy Barker, the Salvation Army Area Commander for Northwest Indiana. "They're also needing cleaning supplies and hygiene products."
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In Lake Station, power lines remain on the ground. Neighbors have also begun helping with cleanup efforts.
"Neighbors started cutting up the trees and stuff making pathways for us to get out," said Lake Station resident Shevonne Ford.
Neighbors have also borrowed generators from each other as they wait for power to be restored.
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"They were able to pull theirs out to get it going and they shared an extension cord with me so I can at least keep my refrigerator going. I've got medication that needs to be refrigerated. So they were very generous," said Jennifer Betz, who also lives in Lake Station.
Many people say even doing day to day chores have become challenging due to the persisting outages.
"The laundry is a big issue. We have to wear the same clothes," said Daryl Henderson, who lives in Lake Station. "It's been a minute now. It's kind of bad."
NIPSCO officials said Wednesday, restoration efforts remain underway and crews are working to repair extensive damage caused by the storms.
"These are systems that are being rebuilt ... trying to accomplish in days or weeks," said Melody Birmingham, the Group Utilities President for NiSource. "Restoration continues every single day, crews focused on restoring service safely."
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"It's unacceptable that so many Hoosiers are still without power," Indiana Gov. Mike Braun said in a statement Thursday. "Our state agencies, including the Indiana National Guard, Indiana Department of Transportation, Department of Correction, Indiana State Police, and the Department of Natural Resources, are all taking unprecedented action to help NIPSCO turn the lights back on. I deeply appreciate the linemen and crews who are putting in the legwork and long hours to address these outages. It's on NIPSCO management to step up, take this seriously and restore power now."
Storm recovery continues in Dyer as businesses cope with prolonged power outages
More than a week after severe storms swept through northwest Indiana, residents and businesses in Dyer continue to deal with the effects of prolonged power outages.
While power has gradually been restored to some businesses, owners say they are still struggling to recover lost inventory and revenue before they can fully reopen.
Tony Vicario, owner of Tony's Italian Deli in Dyer, said he is eager to welcome customers back. Throughout the week, customers have continued stopping by the shop, only to find it still closed while he waits for a shipment of fresh food needed to resume operations.
"This has been non stop for three days people coming to the door. I feel terrible we don't know what else we can do at this point," Vicario said.
Vicario said the storm left his business without power for more than seven days. During that time, all of his fresh and frozen products spoiled, resulting in what he estimated to be about $25,000 in lost revenue.
"It's been rough for everyone I have support for my friends, neighbors, employees and myself. It'a been rough we had a total loss of all our perishable foods both frozen and fresh," he said.
Despite the hardships, community members have been supporting one another. Many customers have indicated they plan to return Saturday as businesses work toward reopening.
"It's been rough it's been really bad, but I think a lot of people pulled together for each other," said Charlotte Lindsay.
Similar challenges have affected other businesses in the area. In nearby Schererville, L Squared, which includes a golf simulator, bar and restaurant, was forced to close after losing power for nine days. Service was restored Wednesday night, according to owner Niko Vlahos.
"It's tough because the revenue dried up but the bills keep coming out everyday," Vlahos said.
The extended outages also prompted action from local officials. The Dyer Town Council sent an urgent letter to NIPSCO seeking improved communication while large portions of the area remained without power and residents received limited information from the utility.
Since then, town officials say communication has improved.
"Communication has improved we have daily zoom calls with NIPSCO admin and each town around the region so it has helped. We have suggested that something like that from day 2 would have been beneficial for everybody," said Dave Hein, Dyer town manager.
As recovery efforts continue, officials reported another setback Thursday. A utility pole fire in Dyer caused additional power outages across much of the town. Officials said they were working to determine how long the latest outage could delay restoration and recovery efforts.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker waives penalties, interest for taxpayers affected by severe weather
Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Revenue announced disaster tax relief for residents and businesses in 15 counties affected by severe weather.
Illinois currently leads the nation with approximately 204 tornadoes this year, the governor's office said.
Tax relief applies to counties included in Pritzker's Disaster Proclamation: Cook (July 27, Aug. 9-11), DuPage (July 27, Aug. 9-11), Kane (July 2-4), LaSalle (Aug. 9-11), Lake (July 27), Will (July 27, Aug. 9-11).
Taxpayers seeking a waiver of penalties and interest for taxes should send a brief written explanation to IDOR regarding why they cannot file timely or pay. They should provide their full name, account number (if using a Social Security number, include only the last four digits), mailing address and an estimate of when they believe they can file or pay their taxes.
Requests may be submitted electronically to REV.DisasterRelief@Illinois.gov or by mail using the address on the return.
When submitting by mail, taxpayers should write "Severe Storms - Summer 2026" at the top of the return in red ink and attach or include the explanation for requesting abatement of penalties and interest.
If impacted taxpayers have already been billed for penalties, they should email REV.DisasterRelief@Illinois.gov and provide their name, business name, account number(s), and the periods for which they filed late due to the storms to request penalty abatement. Taxpayers should include "Severe Storms - Summer 2026" in any communications with IDOR when requesting relief.
Taxpayers who experienced property damage should contact their county supervisor of assessments if they wish to apply for a reassessment.
