Hundreds of thousands remain without power in Indiana after derecho
The destruction began Tuesday when a powerful line of thunderstorms raced across the Midwest, producing widespread damaging winds from Illinois into Indiana and Ohio.
Days after a derecho tore through Indiana, the state is dealing with the largest power outage event in its recorded history.
More than two days after a destructive derecho tore across northern Indiana and parts of Illinois, hundreds of thousands of residents remained without power Thursday as crews worked through widespread damage and renewed flooding.
Northern Indiana Public Service Company, or NIPSCO, said about 313,000 customers lost power during the multiday severe weather event, making it the largest outage event in the utility's history. More than 1,200 contractor resources have joined crews repairing damaged substations, poles, power lines and other infrastructure. As of Friday morning, nearly 200,000 customers were still without power in the state, according to PowerOutage.US.
"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," NIPSCO said.
A person walks through Rose Hill Cemetery as a shelf cloud approaches behind them ahead of a severe thunderstorm on August 11, 2026, in Bloomington, Indiana. The storm was part of a widespread cluster of pop-up thunderstorms that developed across several Midwestern states and extended into the eastern United States. (Photo by Jeremy Hogan/Getty Images)
About 50,000 customers in Illinois are also without power days after the storm.
Extended outages could also become dangerous during August heat, especially for residents without air conditioning. People without power should stay hydrated, close blinds and curtains during the day and avoid strenuous activity during the hottest hours. Anyone whose home becomes dangerously hot should seek an air-conditioned cooling center or another safe location.
High temperatures are forecast to be in the mid-80s Fahrenheit through the weekend with even higher AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures due to sunshine and humidity. Residents won't have much relief at night, as overnight lows are expected to be in the low 70s.
The destruction began Tuesday when a powerful line of thunderstorms raced across the Midwest, producing widespread damaging winds from Illinois into Indiana and Ohio. A peak gust of 99 miles per hour was measured at Gary/Chicago International Airport while tornadoes also caused damage in portions of Lake County.
The storms toppled trees and utility poles, blocked roads and left traffic signals dark across northwest Indiana. Lake County, the state's second-most-populated county, was among the hardest-hit areas with more than 75% of customers initially without electricity.
Recovery efforts were complicated Wednesday when another round of thunderstorms swept across northern Indiana, producing additional outages and torrential rainfall.
Flash flooding developed in parts of Lake, Porter, Jasper and Newton counties as rainfall rates approached 3 inches per hour in some locations. A gauge near Roselawn measured 2.9 inches of rain in less than an hour.
Homes and vehicles were overtaken by floodwater after heavy downpours caused the emergency in Cambridge City, Indiana, on Aug. 12.
The combination of flooded roads, fallen trees and downed power lines has created additional obstacles for crews trying to reach damaged equipment and restore service.
Residents should never approach a downed power line and should treat every fallen wire as energized. Generators should also never be operated inside homes, garages or other enclosed spaces because of the risk of deadly carbon monoxide poisoning.
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