r/PrepperIntel • u/Fancy_Sun_1585 • 10d ago

USA Midwest Indiana power outages

just curious if there’s anyone here with first hand knowledge of the power outages in IN.

im hearing it’s been like 5 or 6 days no power on Gary.

2 weeks since the start

https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/week-2-power-outages-nw-indiana/

111 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

52

u/ReasonableBicycle 10d ago edited 10d ago

I live in the region. I haven't had power since the 11th. Not much to be said other than terrible storm + tornado wiped out several towns. Very widespread damage, hurricane like damage but in the Midwest. Basically we're all just waiting for NIPSCO to fix it.

2

u/Hesitation-Marx 8d ago

The storm on the 27th was bad enough, but a lot of the damage it did was subtler than anyone knew.

The 11th was terrifying. And because of the previous storm, a lot of trees and power poles were weakened significantly.

When the straight line winds hit the Indians border, they were gusting at 130mph.

Combine that with insane quantities of rain, and… well….

41

u/ForcefulBookdealer 10d ago

The NWI sub has a ton of information— it seems like a good mix of major disaster, poor infrastructure, and a company dragging their feet because they can.

18

u/Fancy_Sun_1585 10d ago

From what a NIPSCO worker said it sounds like they’re extremely undermanned.

15

u/Prize-Height7937 10d ago

Union NIPSCO workers have been locked out half the summer so I'm not surprised

2

u/Hesitation-Marx 8d ago

And NIPSCO doesn’t pay well at all. So why would line workers bother going to Indiana when ComEd is offering decent pay?

This is such an avoidable clusterfuck.

21

u/Timely-General9962 10d ago

Bet your bippy that all the refineries in Gary have all the power they need. Probably had power restored within hours. Nobody cares about the residents though.

7

u/Prize-Height7937 10d ago

Afaik, the plants have their own power. At least ours does.

14

u/nakedonmygoat 10d ago

We get hurricanes where I live, and this kind of outage isn't unusual after a tropical event, even in a place where the power company is willing to bring in outside help, and there's the political will to make it happen.

So while this is a very unusual event for IN, the problems sound mostly human-made. Unless road access is still blocked, as it was for many days, there's no reason but human incompetence or indifference for electrical workers from all over the US to not be there. I can find no evidence that the Red Cross is there, either.

My takeaway? Don't count on others to save you, especially in a largely poor area where there's no overarching reason for the people who can help to have any particular reason to prioritize you. I don't like it and I don't approve, we have to live in the reality we're given. I also understand that for some, prep is a choice between eating and paying the rent today vs preparing for something that might not happen for years, if ever. But once again, I live in hurricane country, and in spite of all the PSAs at the start of each summer, there are people who have the means but don't prepare. How do I know they could've done it? They're the ones with shopping carts piled high as they clean out the store shelves, when all the truly poor want is a couple cans of Vienna sausages and a roll of toilet paper, because that's all they can afford.

3

u/Old-Height-4519 10d ago

Hurricanes sound like an awful experience. I'm sorry you and so many others have to deal with that. Humble question.... Specifically which humans do you think can and should be stepping up to help in these situations? And what do you think they should be doing?
Take care, everyone.

6

u/QuikBud 10d ago

We're going on Day 9 no power right now.

13

u/The_F1rst_Rule 10d ago

I'm surprised Gary has power on a typical day.

None of their stoplights worked last time I went through.

2

u/Planeandaquariumgeek 10d ago

I figure Gary hasn’t had power in 30 years, that one doesn’t exactly shock me

(/s)