Chicago Bears, others send aid as Indiana faces 11th day without power

Aug. 22 (UPI) — As some residents of northwestern Indiana endured an 11th day without power on Saturday following devastating storms, the Chicago Bears and others announced they are extending aid to stricken families and businesses.

Nearly 30,000 residents remained without power in Lake and Porter counties as of midday Saturday, according to Northern Indiana Public Service Company, or NIPSCO.

That’s down from 374,500 in the hours following the Aug. 11 storms when a destructive wave of severe weather swept through the area packing high winds, heavy rain and tornadoes and triggering widespread flooding.

Among the hardest hit cities were Gary, East Chicago, Hammond and Munster, all of which are located along the south shore of Lake Michigan southeast of the Chicago metropolitan area.

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun on Saturday said government agencies are “going no holds barred” to address the power outages.

“Hoosiers have been without power for 11 days in Northwest Indiana,” he said in a social media post. “I have mobilized all available state agencies and resources to take unprecedented action to make it easier on utility crews by clearing debris and alleys and roadways.”

Braun on Friday asked the federal government to issue a major disaster declaration as estimates for property damage costs have exceeded $5 billion.

The Republican then leveled criticism at the electric utility.

“NIPSCO needs to match the urgency of these men and women, and of Hoosier ratepayers. Bring in more crews. Put every available resource into the field. Get creative. Get the job done. Hoosiers have waited long enough.”

NIPSCO said in an update that it “recognize[s] how frustrating and difficult it is to be without power for an extended period, especially when your city or area has been listed as restored.

“Please know that your outage remains important to us, and our crews are continuing to work as quickly and safely as possible until every remaining customer is restored. We are committed to restoring 100% of customers as soon as possible and appreciate your continued patience as we complete this historic storm recovery effort.”

Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears highlighted a growing list of private groups and charitable organizations seeking to help northwestern Indiana residents ride out the lengthy ordeal.

The NFL team announced $200,000 in donations to support communities impacted by severe storms and flooding with $100,000 provided to Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago and $100,000 to Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Gary.

“The devastating impact of the storms across Northwest Indiana has turned lives upside down for thousands of families, leaving them to face unexpected challenges and uncertainty,” Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Gary Executive Director Terry Seljan said.

“Right now, our focus is on helping our neighbors access the support and resources they need to stabilize so they can begin to recover and move forward.”

World Central Kitchen also said it is responding in Gary, “where thousands of residents have been struggling without power for over a week.

“As electricity remains down across many parts of Gary, WCK and our local partners are working to serve meals to families without access to food,” the charity said. “Community members have already stepped up for each other, so our goal is to work alongside them to best support families in need.”