# Severe storms and power outages in Chicago and Indiana > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/severe-storms-and-power-outages-in-chicago-and-indiana > Updated: 2026-08-15T20:00:58.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2. Severe storms, including tornadoes and intense electrical activity, caused widespread destruction and infrastructure damage across the Chicago metropolitan area and Northwest Indiana. Initial reports indicated significant power outages and gas shortages, with residents facing long lines at fuel stations and the FDA issuing food preservation guidelines. Utility provider ComEd deployed thousands of workers to repair the grid, aiming for near-total service recovery by mid-August. As recovery efforts continued, officials in Cook County and Chicago requested voluntary damage assessments to help secure state and local assistance. In Northwest Indiana, NIPSCO reported that the weather events caused “unprecedented damage” to the electric system, marking one of the largest outage events in the company’s history, with over 100,000 customers losing electricity in areas including Gary, Dyer, Merrillville, and Hammond. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-15: Storm damage and power outages hit Chicago and Northwest Indiana Severe storms and tornadoes have caused widespread damage and massive power outages across Chicago, Cook County, and Northwest Indiana, prompting damage assessments and ongoing recovery efforts. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/storm-damage-and-power-outages-hit-chicago-and-northwest-indiana ### 2026-08-12: Chicago area power outages and gas shortages follow severe storms Severe storms in the Chicago area have caused widespread power outages and gas shortages across Illinois and Indiana, prompting large-scale repair efforts by ComEd and fuel shortages at local stations. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/chicago-area-power-outages-and-gas-shortages-follow-severe-storms --- Cite as: Severe storms and power outages in Chicago and Indiana. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/severe-storms-and-power-outages-in-chicago-and-indiana