By Akia Thrower
Residents and city officials in Gary, Indiana, have called for improved utility infrastructure and accountability after an extended power outage.
When severe storms tore through the Northwest Indiana region, Gary residents lost power in their homes and local establishments, causing a disruption in their daily lives.
“Everything was closed, so it was very hard to locate some immediate resources, and then all the food went bad,” Gary native Micahl Holloway said during a community event providing aid to residents.
She said that she bought an expensive generator to power her home. Additionally, she and her six children had to adjust to a new routine, especially since schools were closed.
“We just had to adjust to a new normal, making sure that we have batteries and doing things before it gets dark. The kids are ready to go back to school,” Holloway said.
The storm hit on Aug. 11. As of Aug. 24, Holloway and her family were still without power in their home.
Lake Ridge, an unincorporated area, had no operating sewers and no running water.
“The area had electrical sewers installed, so these systems don’t run without power. Residents in this area have no running water, can’t use the restroom and can’t drink water,” Mike Brown, the Lake County Circuit Court clerk, said.
Vegetation on the utility lines has been a major problem in the city, causing major delays in repairs for residents.
“It was pretty rough repairing the city after the storm. A lot of things could have been prevented if there was a lot of tree trimming, bush trimming and vine trimming,” local resident and firefighter John Edmonds said.
Brown added that because the vegetation was prevalent on top of trees and power lines and because poles were falling, repair has been extensive. He called for people to talk to the primary electric provider in the region, the Northern Indiana Public Service Co. (NIPSCO), and listen to the frustrations of local residents.
“People need to talk to NIPSCO and explain to them how while we appreciate what’s being done now, this shouldn’t have happened in the first place,” Brown said.
“NIPSCO needs to listen and work with us and get things done because severe weather is not going to stop. The only solution is to work with our council people and the mayor to clean all this vegetation.”
City Council President Linda Barnes-Caldwell said that the city needs to see the budget NIPSCO dedicates for vegetation removal.
“During a meeting with NIPSCO, they said that they have a budget for clearing vegetation that increases each year. We would like to see where that money is being spent and where vegetation has been cut,” said Barnes-Caldwell.
“It’s clear that vegetation wasn’t cut in Gary because we had too many old and new trees that just came out of the ground, just laying on people’s homes, their vehicles and in the street,” she said.
Mayor Eddie Melton said that since Day One, the public works department worked to clear trees from roadways and opened a 24-hour shelter for those in need.
“We partnered with the YMCA to open up the shelter every night to provide breakfast, lunch and dinner, and that was all through donations that were coming through the community,” said Melton. “We also partnered with Lowe’s to bring in the Bucket Brigade, who brought in cleaning supplies.”
The mayor and other local officials said they plan to continue these efforts and put plans in place for future storm preparations.
“The infrastructure in Gary is to the point where we need to replace all of our lines. We had winds of 100 miles an hour during this storm, and I don’t believe the poles and lines could sustain that level of destruction,” Melton said.
“We are currently requesting a hardened infrastructure (so) that the type of wood or metal that utility companies use would be stronger, maintaining our critical infrastructures and sanitation district, and making sure that our medical facilities and senior living facilities have backup generators.”
The community event was a partnership among food critic and content creator Keith Lee, the city, the Salvation Army and Ace Hardware, with sponsor NBA player Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers
“I saw people in Gary on social media describing the crisis they were in, and I felt that not a lot of people outside of Gary talked about it,” said Lee. “If I am blessed to have a platform, I’m going to use it the way I’m supposed to, and this is one of the ways.”
Crystal Melton said that she hopes the event will encourage people and give them hope for the future.
“I hope people feel a sense of community and hope. Bad things will happen that we can’t control, but I hope that people know that we will get on the other side of this,” she said.
Lee added that community is important, with people who care about one another, and everyone has a place within their community and will never be forgotten.
“Gary is one of the blackest cities in the world and one of the most overlooked cities, and I want it to be very, very known that we would not be forgotten when it comes to Gary and the Midwest in general,” said Lee.