Greater Hope for Gary, Indiana 

Mayor Eddie D. Melton Presses NIPSCO for Comprehensive Recovery Action Plan Following August 11 Storm

By Ramelle Carter

The National Weather Service today has us bracing for weather changes in the Northeast and Pacific areas, with heavy rain, flooding, a Nor’easter on the East Coast, and El Nino in the West Coast; being on the minds of many thinking of an impending disaster has homeowners and community members are sacrificing whatever it takes to prepare. Could the same preparation have saved the woes in Gary, Indiana’s power outage catastrophe?

“The measures outlined last week by NIPSCO of suspending disconnections for nonpayment and pausing collection activities were at the top of my priority actions list and are an important first step in the process, but much more remains to be done,” said Mayor Eddie Melton, who issued NIPSCO a comprehensive set of priorities and actions designed to help the city going forward.

“We need Gary’s power grid to be as resilient as Gary’s people,” the mayor said. “I pledge to continue to fight on behalf of all those who reside in Gary to turn this point in our city’s history into a time of hope and opportunity.”

Although a power outage is possible with weather, the epic disaster in Gary, Indiana, is one example of the change in environmental agony on the world infrastructure. According to the official Gary, Indiana website page, on September 3rd, around 02:30 PM CST, there was a major power outage which affected close to 1,700 customers of NIPSCO (Northern Indiana Public Service Company, one of the largest natural gas distribution companies, and the second largest electric distribution company in the state of Indiana.

The devastation of losing power can cripple the foundation of home life, no matter the race, color, or creed of human life. The power outage in Gary, Indiana, even has Tech Titans authorizing our government to slow down the progression of AI (Artificial Intelligence). Sam Altman, Jacob Coxon, Evan Hubinger, Geoffrey Hinton, and others are ringing bells and sounding alarms about the future of Artificial intelligence. On top of AI (Artificial Intelligence) danger, Data Centers are endangering the water and power supply; the framework of technology can destroy our Earth and the growth of mankind. If no one is listening, then the proper functioning of natural life could effectively leave only Earth with no people in it.

The outcome of the outage in Gary, Indiana is just the tip of the iceberg. I wanted the Mayor of Gary, Indiana, to give us a brief update on how things are going now that the quiet of the power outage has eased. Here is some of what his team has stated.

THT: How is Mayor Melton? 

Mayor Melton is focused and entirely committed to our recovery. Managing the aftermath of a disaster that knocked out power to 95% of Lake County has required round-the-clock coordination, but my priority is getting this community back on its feet. From pressing NIPSCO for immediate grid reliability through our R3 Action Plan to securing federal FEMA resources and coordinating citywide debris removal, we are executing on all fronts to ensure Gary rebuilds stronger.

THT: How are the citizens of Gary, IN? 

They are recovering, but it has been an incredibly demanding period. The prolonged power outages and massive debris from the August 11 storm tested everyone. Over 1,200 households required immediate support through our Emergency Financial Assistance Program just to manage the initial fallout. While the physical cleanup is making tremendous progress, many of our residents are still navigating the financial and structural toll of the damage.

THT: What items are still needed? 

Sustained federal and state support remains critical as residents continue to navigate FEMA applications and secure building permits for home repairs. We need ongoing volunteer assistance for heavy-duty property cleanups and structural work that goes beyond standard municipal debris removal. Most importantly, we need immediate, tangible infrastructure investments from our utility providers to ensure our power grid can withstand future extreme weather without leaving our citizens in the dark.

THT: What would you let other cities know about / survival tactics that were missed? 

Do not wait for a disaster to hit to secure your recovery contracts and demand utility accountability. Having pre-established relationships with heavy debris contractors like AshBritt and volunteer organizations like Team Rubicon allowed us to mobilize immediately. A critical lesson was the absolute necessity of rapid, direct communication, which reinforced our push to launch Smart911. Furthermore, establishing immediate local relief—like the $500,000 we distributed with the Legacy Foundation and CoAction—is essential to bridge the gap before federal aid arrives.

THT: What would you say about the resilience of the citizens of Gary, Indiana? 

The resilience of Gary’s residents is unmatched. When faced with historic outages and widespread destruction, this community stepped up immediately. Neighbors helped neighbors’ clear branches, shared resources from the relief stations at YWCA, City Life Center, and the Hudson-Campbell Center, and supported one another through the darkest days. They even stood together to demand accountability and better service from utility providers. Gary is a city built on strength, and this recovery effort has only highlighted the unbreakable spirit of our people.

Please visit www.gary.gov/recoveryactionplan to learn more.

About the City of Gary:

The City of Gary, Indiana, is committed to fostering economic growth, community resilience, and a high quality of life for all residents under the leadership of Mayor Eddie D. Melton. For more information on city initiatives and emergency services, please visit www.gary.gov.

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