Outage Update at 4 p.m. CT Aug. 12, 2026 (Next Update Aug. 12, 2026 at 9 p.m. CT)      

The most destructive storm known in recent history to impact NIPSCO's service territory has caused significant levels of damage to the electric system and the largest and most widespread outage event on record, affecting hundreds of thousands of customers across northern Indiana.

Crews continue to work around the clock to assess damage, repair critical infrastructure, and restore service safely. While thousands of customers have been restored since the storm, the unprecedented extent of the damage means restoration progress may vary by community. Before power can be restored to individual neighborhoods, crews must first repair major transmission and distribution facilities that serve large numbers of customers. As those repairs are completed, restoration efforts are expected to gain momentum.

Overnight, crews focused on responding to safety hazards, clearing downed trees, repairing critical infrastructure, assessing damage, and preparing work locations for restoration activities today. Much of this work is required before larger numbers of customers can be safely restored.

Restoration times are not yet available as damage assessments continue. This is the largest outage event in NIPSCO's history, affecting approximately 60% of our electric customers at its peak and causing extensive damage throughout the electric system. Because of the historic number of outages and the widespread nature of the damage, crews are still conducting damage assessments across the territory.

While we know customers are eager for restoration information, providing accurate estimates requires a thorough understanding of the damage. We will communicate estimated restoration times as soon as the information is available.

At this time, approximately 270,000 of NIPSCO's 500,000 electric customers are impacted by the storm. 

This remains the largest outage events on record in NIPSCO's history. The storm's impacts extend across nearly all of our electric service territory, with significant damage to poles, power lines, substations, and trees throughout northern Indiana. Due to the scale and geographic reach of the damage, restoration is expected to be a multi-day effort in some communities.

Storm damage, extensive vegetation debris, flooding, and power outages are creating hazardous conditions and traffic backups across the area, making it difficult for our crews to assess and address damage in a timely manner. Avoid unnecessary travel, never approach a downed power line, and give emergency responders and utility crews room to work.

Our teams are actively working to restore service safely and as quickly as possible. Stay safe.

Many communities across northern Indiana experienced severe weather yesterday, resulting in downed trees, flooding and wind damage. Based on outage numbers, the most impacted communities are currently: Cedar Lake, Chesterton, Crown Point, Dyer, East Chicago, Gary, Griffith, Hammond, Highland, Hobart, LaPorte, Lake Station, Lowell, Merrillville, Michigan City, Munster, Portage, Saint John, Schererville, and Valparaiso.

We are assessing damage at this time and will provide estimated restoration times when complete. There is widespread damage to electric infrastructure, including downed poles, power lines, and trees. Due to the extent of the damage and the large geographic area affected, customers should expect restoration efforts to extend over multiple days in some areas.

NIPSCO closely monitored developing weather conditions and pre-positioned crews in advance of the anticipated severe storms. All available NIPSCO linemen have been deployed to support restoration efforts, alongside more than 1200 contractor resources. Additional resources are being mobilized as part of what is expected to be an extensive restoration effort following widespread damage from winds of approximately 100 mph.

We understand that any service outage is an inconvenience, and thank you for your patience and understanding during our assessment and restoration efforts.     

Important Safety Reminder: We have received reports of natural gas leaks due to yesterday's severe weather. If you smell a rotten egg or sulfur-like odor, leave the area immediately. From a safe location, call 911 and NIPSCO. 

Safety First – Stay Away from Downed Power Lines    
Most important to your safety is to avoid downed power lines, damaged poles or other hazardous situations. Every downed wire should be treated as though it is a live wire.   

Restoration Process    
Following an assessment of the damage, NIPSCO’s restoration process begins with repairing large transmission and distribution lines that supply electricity to large numbers of customers in large geographic areas – including critical customers such as hospitals and emergency response. Repairs to other lines that serve smaller groups of customers can’t be made until the larger lines feeding electricity to those areas are repaired.    

Our restoration effort continues around the clock. Overnight crews are responding to hazards, restoring critical infrastructure, and preparing work for the next day. Customers may see crews working overnight, including in residential areas and backyards where equipment and facilities require repair. For the safety of our employees, we encourage customers to be aware of these activities and give crews the space they need to work safely. Because many repairs require daylight for safety, customers may see the greatest restoration progress after sunrise.

Additional Storm Damage Reporting Requested
As additional weather moves through the region, customers can play an important role in helping crews identify new damage caused by today's storms. If you see downed power lines, trees or large branches on power lines, damaged utility poles, or other electrical hazards, please report them to NIPSCO.

Even if you have already reported a power outage, we encourage you to report any new damage or hazards you observe. Additional storms and high winds can create new damage to electric infrastructure after initial assessments have been completed, requiring crews to adjust restoration plans and make additional assessments and repairs. Prompt reporting helps ensure damage is identified as quickly as possible and supports safe and efficient restoration efforts.

Please Report Your Outage    
If you are experiencing a power outage, please text "out" to 444111 to report an outage, visit nipsco.com/outages or on the NIPSCO app, available on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.    

Current power outages

Find your location to see outage status, cause and estimated restoration time.

• This map is updated every 10 minutes
• You can view reported power outages in your area by searching for your city or zip code, selecting a pin on the map, or by clicking a city on the table

FOR CUSTOMERS WHO NEED STORM DOCUMENTATION

A full list of affected communities from the June 11 storm is available below.

View Outage Summary by Community