Damage and restoration efforts from August 11 storm
The August 11, 2026, derecho that hit Northwest Indiana, and the storms that followed, caused unprecedented damage to the region and to NIPSCO’s system.
We recognize the significant hardship that the prolonged outages caused for affected communities, and we have heard the questions and concerns from our customers. NIPSCO is focused on examining our response and applying lessons learned for future severe storms – to build a stronger electric system and stronger communities.
Our commitment: We will do better.
This storm will inform NIPSCO’s approach moving forward. We have hired an independent third-party expert to conduct a thorough review of our storm response, and we will release the results publicly.
This storm will also help all
of us think about how Indiana prepares for severe weather, which is becoming much more common. An event of this scale is not something a utility responds to alone. It requires coordination among the utility, state government, local leaders, emergency-management
agencies, first responders, and communities. We are committed to being a good partner and to engaging in this important conversation.
Customer Assistance and Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
8-11 Storm | 2. Why did restoration take so long?
Every day following the storm, even as the severe weather continued, we focused on restoring service safely, supporting those affected, and helping our communities recover.
This was the largest restoration effort in our history – more than 4,000 internal and contract workers from 15 different states were mobilized to support the response. Our crews and contractors worked long days and nights under extremely difficult conditions, and we are grateful for their dedication and support.
The combination of extreme, sustained winds and highly saturated soil created conditions unlike anything our system has ever experienced.
The storm brought down huge trees and other infrastructure from outside of our right of way, making roads inaccessible in some areas and making it harder to assess damage and reach equipment that needed repairs, which ultimately impeded restoration.
Need assistance?
Visit our customer support page.