Twelve days after severe storms swept through northwest Indiana on Aug. 11, thousands of residents are still without electricity, with hard-hit communities like Gary describing conditions as 'survival mode'.
Key facts
- Storms hit northwest Indiana on Aug. 11, according to NPR.
- Thousands of residents remained without power nearly two weeks later.
- In Gary, a third of residents live in poverty.
- Residents in Gary described living in 'survival mode'.
- Frustration is building in affected communities, according to the BBC.
Thousands of people in northwest Indiana are still without electricity nearly two weeks after severe storms struck the region, according to reports from the BBC and NPR.
NPR reported that a round of storms impacted the region on Aug. 11. Twelve days later, thousands of residents remained without power, leaving communities to cope with the prolonged outage.
In the town of Gary, where a third of residents live in poverty, people said they had been living in what they described as ‘survival mode’, according to the BBC.
The BBC also reported that frustration is building in the town as the outage stretches on, with residents struggling to manage daily life without electricity.
The scale of the disruption underscores the challenges facing lower-income communities when severe weather knocks out essential services for extended periods.
Why it matters
Prolonged power outages after severe weather can be especially dangerous for lower-income communities, where residents may have fewer resources to cope. The situation in Gary highlights how storms can compound existing hardship when recovery drags on for days.
Frequently asked questions
When did the storms hit Indiana?
According to NPR, a round of storms impacted northwest Indiana on Aug. 11.
How long have residents been without power?
Reports indicate thousands of residents were still without power 12 days after the storms, nearly two weeks later.
Which community has been particularly affected?
The town of Gary, where a third of residents live in poverty, has been hard hit, with people describing life there as 'survival mode', according to the BBC.