World Central Kitchen offered free meals to northwest Indiana residents Sunday in Gary amid NIPSCO power outages and storm recovery efforts.
Thousands of Indiana residents have been without power since Aug. 11 after several rounds of strong storms rolled through the Chicago area.
As of Sunday evening, NIPSCO reported more than 10,000 customers were still without power in northwest Indiana. Their latest estimate was to have everyone back up and running Tuesday. Some of the hardest hit areas were in Gary and Portage, Indiana.
Cheers and applause echoed through some Portage neighborhoods as power was restored for many residents who said they had been without electricity for about 13 days.
Residents described the lengthy outage as both emotional and frustrating, with many expressing relief as utility crews continued restoration efforts across northwest Indiana.
"We had to clap because it's been a very emotional 13 days," Amelia Lopez said.
Branches remained scattered across properties in parts of Portage on Sundat evening, evidence of the event that left many residents without power. Homeowners have watched utility crews work block by block for nearly two weeks as electricity has gradually returned to affected areas.
For some residents, seeing crews working nearby signaled a long-awaited return to normal life.
"Oh my god it was a feeling of relief after everything we have gone through, so it was just so beautiful seeing them working right here in front of us," Amalia Lopez said.
Officials said some people in northwest Indiana may have to wait until Tuesday for power to be restored. Generators continued running throughout neighborhoods as some households remained without electricity while nearby homes regained service.
"Well we just got power earlier today but lots of folks don't have power and it's not easy for us. Folks got food spoiling and stuff we feel like we're taken for granted by the community and the state," Eli Valdez said.
The prolonged outages have fueled frustration among some residents, who said the experience was unlike anything they had faced before.
"I feel like if NIPSCO did their job a lot better we wouldn't be in this spot. I understand they only have so many workers and can only work so many hours but all throughout together I feel like they could've done a better job being more prepped for something like this," Valdez said.
Crews were also focused on work near some schools in Portage, which residents hope will allow those facilities to reopen soon.
In Gary, Greater Gary Schools announced that classes will resume Monday with a two-hour delayed start.
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A community relief effort continued to grow Sunday in unincorporated Lake Ridge, near Gary, where residents affected by ongoing power outages gathered for food, water and other essential supplies.
Just before 2 p.m., a truckload of food and water arrived at the all-volunteer Lake Ridge Fire Department. Firefighters and volunteers have spent the past several days increasing support services for residents, distributing supplies and helping meet basic needs.
"Our community has no water. No toilets. No sewers. They can't brush their teeth. They have no power so we're just getting whatever resources we can get to help them," said Tim Kuiper of the Lake Ridge Fire Protection District.
What began as water giveaways has expanded into a broader relief operation that now includes mobile showers. Organizers said food remains one of the most pressing needs for residents still dealing with the effects of the outages.
"I go to food banks for food. I had to throw my food in the garbage so I'm trying to survive now," said Sharon Dickerson, who remains without power.
Amanda Finlay, another resident still without electricity, described the financial strain caused by the situation.
"I make maybe $15 an hour. I'm barely surviving. And everything that's going on it's not making it any better," Finlay said.
Among the organizations providing assistance are Lilly and World Central Kitchen. The nonprofit, founded by chef José Andrés, distributed about 4,000 meals Sunday in both Lake Ridge and in Gary.
Chef Jack Velásquez, a local volunteer working with World Central Kitchen, said organizers have been evaluating needs across multiple locations.
"There's 11 different sites that we went to yesterday just to see. There were some centers set up to see where they great need was and this is one of them here today," Velásquez said.
Indiana Governor Mike Braun is asking the federal government to issue a major disaster declaration to help with relief efforts across the state. The request estimates property damage costs have topped $5 billion.
In an effort to accelerate restoration work, ComEd dispatched more than 60 employees to northwest Indiana on Saturday to assist NIPSCO crews. The workers are expected to remain in the area for several days.
Also on Saturday, the Bears announced $200,000 in donations to storm relief efforts in southeast Cook County and northwest Indiana. The NFL team said $100,000 is going to Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago and $100,000 is going to Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Gary.
Meanwhile, a class-action lawsuit against Northern Indiana Public Service Company has been filed. The lawsuit claims NIPSCO inadequately performed vegetation management in and around power lines and that fallen trees led to power outages that impacted people's lives.
The lawsuit filed on behalf of Indiana residents alleges the widespread outages could have been prevented. Attorneys representing plaintiffs claim NIPSCO failed to properly manage vegetation and did not conduct adequate inspections of utility poles and power lines.
NIPSCO denied the allegations, saying it maintains an active vegetation management program and plans to vigorously defend itself through the legal process.
The utility also addressed concerns from customers who remain without power while continuing to receive utility bills.
"With respect to customer's bills, we've suspended any kind of disconnection through the next week," said NIPSCO President Melody Birmingham. "We'll continue to work with our customers and put programs in place for any customers who have a difficult time paying that bill."
NIPSCO issued the following statement Friday:
"We strongly disagree with the characterization of NIPSCO's vegetation management practices in the Amended Complaint and the various press conferences held by the law firm of Kenneth Allen Law Group. We will vigorously defend the company through the legal process. NIPSCO's electric operations, including its active vegetation management program, are overseen by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission. NIPSCO's vegetation management spend has more than doubled since 2016, demonstrating our commitment and focus on maintaining a safe and reliable electric system. NIPSCO understands the impact that prolonged outages can have on our customers and communities, particularly following storms, and in particular, the severe weather events that caused unprecedented damage across NIPSCO's electric system that recently transpired. Safety and reliability are fundamental to how we operate, and we have established processes and procedures to maintain our electric system, including our vegetation management program. Our immediate focus remains on restoring service to affected customers safely and as quickly as possible."