NIPSCO faces lawsuit and massive outages after severe Indiana storms

NIPSCO power outage Northwest Indiana storms Gary Indiana class-action lawsuit utility vegetation management

Severe storms and tornadoes that struck Northwest Indiana on August 11 caused the largest power outage in NIPSCO history. The weather event, which included wind gusts up to 99 mph, left hundreds of thousands of customers without electricity, with many residents in Gary and surrounding areas facing outages for nearly two weeks.

As restoration efforts continue, ComEd has deployed over 60 employees to assist NIPSCO. While over 300,000 customers have had power restored, tens of thousands remain in the dark, with full restoration for some Gary residents not expected until August 25.

A class-action lawsuit has been filed in Porter County, alleging that NIPSCO was negligent in its vegetation management. The complaint claims the utility failed to remove hazardous trees and conduct regular inspections, which contributed to the widespread outages.

In response to the damage, Indiana Governor Mike Braun has requested an expedited major disaster declaration from FEMA for 54 counties, estimating potential losses could exceed $5 billion.

Entities

ComEd · FEMA · Gary · Indiana · Lake County · Mike Braun · NIPSCO · Oscar Martinez Jr.

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[○ 1 SOURCE] Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. stated that the priority is resident safety amid blocked roads and downed lines. chicagocrusader.com
[● 4 SOURCES] The storm was the most destructive to ever strike NIPSCO's service territory, causing its largest outage event. chicagocrusader.com · offshoresource.com · chicago.suntimes.com · www.thecooldown.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Full power restoration for some Gary residents may not occur until Aug. 25. capitalbnews.org · uticaphoenix.net · www.wishtv.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] More than 270,000 customers were without power as of 8 a.m. on Wednesday following the storm. chicagocrusader.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Wind gusts during the Aug. 11 storm reached approximately 99 mph. uticaphoenix.net · www.bbc.co.uk · chicago.suntimes.com
[● 2 SOURCES] More than 300,000 customers had their service restored following the outage. uticaphoenix.net · offshoresource.com
[● 2 SOURCES] Between 63,500 and 68,000 customers remained without electricity as of Thursday morning, Aug. 20. uticaphoenix.net · www.deccanchronicle.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] Governor Mike Braun requested an expedited major disaster declaration from FEMA for 54 counties. www.cbsnews.com
[● 3 SOURCES] A class-action lawsuit alleges NIPSCO failed to remove hazardous trees and vegetation near power lines. chicago.suntimes.com · 2001online.com · internewscast.com