As a former state emergency management official, there’s some misinformation here. The problem isn’t simply that FEMA has been rendered dysfunctional; it’s that (MAGA) Gov. Mike Braun appears to have waited an unconscionably long time to request a Major Disaster Declaration, which would unlock additional federal resources and Individual Assistance.
There’s no explanation for that delay. We knew very early that the derecho had caused catastrophic, widespread damage. Indiana did not need every formal damage assessment neatly wrapped in a bow before the governor could request a declaration when the magnitude of the disaster was already apparent. Braun is also very much a Trump acolyte, which raises uncomfortable questions...
Secondly, FEMA does not and cannot restore the electrical grid. That is NIPSCO’s responsibility. In a disaster of this magnitude, utilities also typically call on mutual-aid agreements to bring in line crews from other utilities and states to expedite restoration. Damage from a derecho can absolutely devastate electrical infrastructure and take days to repair. But having lived through plenty of severe weather in rural Indiana, I have never experienced an outage approaching this length. Eleven-plus days without power for thousands of customers is extraordinary.
FWIW, I live in Northwest Indiana and it is not just Gary. This area is known locally as "the Region", and has around 800,000 residents spread across over 10 different municipalities that blend into each other so seamlessly that unless you see a sign on one of the larger roads, you wouldn't know which town you were in. The Region is very diverse with large Hispanic, Indian, Serbian and other ethnic enclaves. The Region is a stronghold of Union members who build Chicago and support staff for white collar offices in the city because it lies only 30 miles from the Chicago Loop. This is probably the largest population center in the country that almost no one knows exists, with its most famous former residents including the Jackson family, Greg Popovich and Jim Gaffigan. This is also one of the two Democratic Congressional districts in the state that Trump wanted the state legislature to gerrymander out of existence.
As of right now, there are still hundreds of thousands of residents across the region who lack power and there are still trees blocking roads. Over the past 2 weeks, the people in the region have been pulling together to clear debris, tarp roofs, and help their neighbors who still lack power with things like laundry, food, and whatever other help they can provide. Even before this storm, NIPSCO has been jacking up rates for power as data centers are built, and services for residents deteriorate. I have seen no evidence of any federal or state led response, although it should be noted that much of the central part of the state has been simultaneously impacted by devastating floods.
After last night’s storm, many in Memphis are still w/out electricity. xAI Colossus still has its “power”. Though not sure the water conservation order applies to them…
Having been born in the state (same as John Roberts, ugh) -- I can tell you that a large majority of the people in Gary DO NOT VOTE FOR REPUBLICANS ... which is one of the reasons this town is in trouble when rural, Whiter areas of the state are not
That's a problem in more than one state in the country and the majority of Confederate states
You have to know that Felon Muskrat put his xAI in Memphis so it could steal the water and pollute the air of the Black people who live there
But one of the most recent & horrific manifestations of that is that right now 130K citizens in Memphis don't have power but all of xAI's lights are on
I had a four day outage earlier this year. Let me tell you, it sucked. Happily, it was fairly localized after the first day, and the stores and such I can walk to were ok. I can’t imagine being out for eleven and counting, and having it be large swaths that are down.
My heart goes out to the residents affected. Damn that tangerine fuckwit for screwing up every facet of the government that might actually benefit the people.
I feel like I say this every day -- but White Americans who claim to believe in democracy have to turn to their White cousins who vote for Republicans because they, the White cousins, are bigots -- and point out "this is what your racism is costing you"
I live in rural north Florida. We lose power often, as the area is heavily wooded and heavy rain, wet ground and a bit of wind will knock down lines for miles. After a hurricane, you can expect to be without power for weeks.
So, we rely on our beloved generator which I treat like one of my children. Can't run the A/C with it, but ice, water from our welland food that doesn't spoil is rather nice. It is a small price to pay for the quiet, the wildlife and the fact seeing a logging truck a mile away means h⁷eavy traffic.
But in a city? It is disgusting at how much of a third world country we have become. These days, with our national leadership, I recommend everyone have a generator since we can't trust our infrastructure holding up. How else can we afford a ballroom, Arch and new gold leafed battleships?
That's a problem in more than one state in the country and the majority of Confederate states
You have to know that Felon Muskrat put his xAI in Memphis so it could steal the water and pollute the air of the Black people who live there
But one of the most recent & horrific manifestations of that is that right now 130K citizens in Memphis don't have power but all of xAI's lights are on
Back in 2002 I lost power for 9 days following an ice storm. Got a different non-answer from Duke Energy every time I called. It was a statewide emergency, they were overwhelmed, and I was lucky to have family who could put me up. Even so, I still remember the year and how long it lasted, because losing electricity absolutely wreaks havoc on your life. I had to leave a gas fireplace on for my cats, which is, to put it mildly, not recommended. I lost a freezer full of food. Fucking get this fixed, FEMA.
How many people here were (emphasis on were) Trump supporters. He keeps treating everyone like shit and then they wonder why they’re losing their voters.
My nephew lives in Valparaiso, and his power was out for four days. Good thing he has generators to keep his fridge running. The house was already hot and dark; no food on top of that, plus three little kids, equals disaster.
Funny thing though: My nephew says someone shot at a NIPSCO line worker in Gary, and that's one reason service restoration has been slow. I love and respect my nephew, but I'm not sure I believe him on this. The Chicago Sun-Times has been covering this pretty regularly, and they haven't had word one on any violence.
What's clear is that that people are getting pissed about the delay. But who the fuck can blame them?
There was a story that they "paused" restoration in Gary ~only~, because of that shooting incident, which is quite credible given peoples' nerves have been on edge about this. The widespread *DARK* and unknown can be rattling. It's not clear if the crews were shot *at* or if they just witnessed gunshots nearby. Either way, I would pause it too. That one incident was definitely not the cause of the multi-county delay. The one gas station 3 blocks from me was the only one operating for miles around and there were LONG lines and tension. At one point the cops closed the station because some idiots were causing trouble and fighting, and rumors that someone may have been packing. So I drove to Gary for gas and no problem, go figure. We were supposed to be out the full 2 weeks til the 25th, but somehow they managed to get us up on the 18th - still, 8 days without.
Indianapolis (IPL) also has guidelines for lineworkers in certain pockets of the city; threats and weapons happen really frequently. Here's the thing, though: You can't refuse to restore power. You can use police escorts, make sure restoration is only occurring during daylight hours, post advance notice, etc -- but you can't deny service.
Gary had the highest wind recorded in the storm, 99 mph. They were hit bad by the March tornados. This town is probably the disinvestment capital of the U.S. even in "good" times. Many, many of its traffic lights are non-operational ~for years~ ... stop signs have been posted at these intersections while the signals still stand. There is scant traffic anyway. It's sad because it was once the jewel of the Region, complete with its Broadway Ave shopping strip downtown that drew people from miles around. If you imagine the space without buildings, it's a beautiful dune-and-swale topography that could give it a resort complexion. You could envision it at the vast National Park that has been hard-fought preserved just a few miles east. Unfortunately it was desecrated by industry. Huge sand dunes were mined. Many steel megaliths boomed then busted. Tax burden shifted to residents. Not a unique story in the USA, one of many which have poorly balanced exploitative vs. sustainable development.
On 8/12, the very day after we were all plunged into darkness, destruction, and basement flooding, I spotted a house about a block away who decided to haul out his "Trump Won" flag and just rub it in peoples' faces. It's pretty faded~ish, might be from 2016, and it flies every once in a while. He was darkened with the rest of us. Now the whole neighborhood knows for sure that this is not just your garden-variety MAGA AH, rather a special vintage. As Liz stated below, there is Ruby Red here in this otherwise Blue Region and alas it is growing. A few days later the flag was down. I saw my congressman a few days later near his home in town and he said FEMA help is in doubt but the governor was sending the National Guard to help our town's public works dept clean up. We got power back on 8/18 and crews were cleaning up tree debris all week. My neighbor behind me is still on a generator because a huge tree limb fell and ripped the service drop off the house, who knows when that will get fixed. This is a generational disaster, many trees older than I am were lost, never been like this before. And Nipsco's response was veeerrrry slow, there were no trucks around for a week before they finally showed up, said they were "assessing". ComEd from IL has been summoned TODAY, 8/22, they were faster in IL both this time and on the 7/27 tornado which did extensive damage in the Chicago Southland, which we were spared from. Feds claim a FEMA "declaration" but it was made 4 days after the storm and appears kinda weak-saucy, i.e. --
"Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize and provide, << at its discretion >>, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, limited to direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75% federal funding."
I hope Florida voters know that gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds is one of many Republicans who voted against FEMA funding.
https://substack.com/profile/157420297-kirsty-gnome-squattor/note/c-322181309
As a former state emergency management official, there’s some misinformation here. The problem isn’t simply that FEMA has been rendered dysfunctional; it’s that (MAGA) Gov. Mike Braun appears to have waited an unconscionably long time to request a Major Disaster Declaration, which would unlock additional federal resources and Individual Assistance.
There’s no explanation for that delay. We knew very early that the derecho had caused catastrophic, widespread damage. Indiana did not need every formal damage assessment neatly wrapped in a bow before the governor could request a declaration when the magnitude of the disaster was already apparent. Braun is also very much a Trump acolyte, which raises uncomfortable questions...
Secondly, FEMA does not and cannot restore the electrical grid. That is NIPSCO’s responsibility. In a disaster of this magnitude, utilities also typically call on mutual-aid agreements to bring in line crews from other utilities and states to expedite restoration. Damage from a derecho can absolutely devastate electrical infrastructure and take days to repair. But having lived through plenty of severe weather in rural Indiana, I have never experienced an outage approaching this length. Eleven-plus days without power for thousands of customers is extraordinary.
FWIW, I live in Northwest Indiana and it is not just Gary. This area is known locally as "the Region", and has around 800,000 residents spread across over 10 different municipalities that blend into each other so seamlessly that unless you see a sign on one of the larger roads, you wouldn't know which town you were in. The Region is very diverse with large Hispanic, Indian, Serbian and other ethnic enclaves. The Region is a stronghold of Union members who build Chicago and support staff for white collar offices in the city because it lies only 30 miles from the Chicago Loop. This is probably the largest population center in the country that almost no one knows exists, with its most famous former residents including the Jackson family, Greg Popovich and Jim Gaffigan. This is also one of the two Democratic Congressional districts in the state that Trump wanted the state legislature to gerrymander out of existence.
As of right now, there are still hundreds of thousands of residents across the region who lack power and there are still trees blocking roads. Over the past 2 weeks, the people in the region have been pulling together to clear debris, tarp roofs, and help their neighbors who still lack power with things like laundry, food, and whatever other help they can provide. Even before this storm, NIPSCO has been jacking up rates for power as data centers are built, and services for residents deteriorate. I have seen no evidence of any federal or state led response, although it should be noted that much of the central part of the state has been simultaneously impacted by devastating floods.
Wow, 800K. That's more than all of Wyoming. And about half as many cows.
After last night’s storm, many in Memphis are still w/out electricity. xAI Colossus still has its “power”. Though not sure the water conservation order applies to them…
Keep your eyes on Memphis 👀
And what is the Indiana ( Republican) government doing ?
That sux, but here's an idea Indianians -- stop fking voting for Rethuglicans!
Having been born in the state (same as John Roberts, ugh) -- I can tell you that a large majority of the people in Gary DO NOT VOTE FOR REPUBLICANS ... which is one of the reasons this town is in trouble when rural, Whiter areas of the state are not
That's a problem in more than one state in the country and the majority of Confederate states
You have to know that Felon Muskrat put his xAI in Memphis so it could steal the water and pollute the air of the Black people who live there
But one of the most recent & horrific manifestations of that is that right now 130K citizens in Memphis don't have power but all of xAI's lights are on
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Xq7ekn5k00E
I had a four day outage earlier this year. Let me tell you, it sucked. Happily, it was fairly localized after the first day, and the stores and such I can walk to were ok. I can’t imagine being out for eleven and counting, and having it be large swaths that are down.
My heart goes out to the residents affected. Damn that tangerine fuckwit for screwing up every facet of the government that might actually benefit the people.
What is it going to take to wake up America.
I feel like I say this every day -- but White Americans who claim to believe in democracy have to turn to their White cousins who vote for Republicans because they, the White cousins, are bigots -- and point out "this is what your racism is costing you"
https://substack.com/@m123718294/note/c-320383795
"... navigates ... I am committed ... "
In other words, fuck you. We ain't doing shit.
I live in rural north Florida. We lose power often, as the area is heavily wooded and heavy rain, wet ground and a bit of wind will knock down lines for miles. After a hurricane, you can expect to be without power for weeks.
So, we rely on our beloved generator which I treat like one of my children. Can't run the A/C with it, but ice, water from our welland food that doesn't spoil is rather nice. It is a small price to pay for the quiet, the wildlife and the fact seeing a logging truck a mile away means h⁷eavy traffic.
But in a city? It is disgusting at how much of a third world country we have become. These days, with our national leadership, I recommend everyone have a generator since we can't trust our infrastructure holding up. How else can we afford a ballroom, Arch and new gold leafed battleships?
That's a problem in more than one state in the country and the majority of Confederate states
You have to know that Felon Muskrat put his xAI in Memphis so it could steal the water and pollute the air of the Black people who live there
But one of the most recent & horrific manifestations of that is that right now 130K citizens in Memphis don't have power but all of xAI's lights are on
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Xq7ekn5k00E
Back in 2002 I lost power for 9 days following an ice storm. Got a different non-answer from Duke Energy every time I called. It was a statewide emergency, they were overwhelmed, and I was lucky to have family who could put me up. Even so, I still remember the year and how long it lasted, because losing electricity absolutely wreaks havoc on your life. I had to leave a gas fireplace on for my cats, which is, to put it mildly, not recommended. I lost a freezer full of food. Fucking get this fixed, FEMA.
Trump won't even help red states. Guess there are too many black people in Gary.
How many people here were (emphasis on were) Trump supporters. He keeps treating everyone like shit and then they wonder why they’re losing their voters.
In Gary?
Almost none
https://www.wonkette.com/p/gary-indiana-has-been-without-power/comment/321122431
My nephew lives in Valparaiso, and his power was out for four days. Good thing he has generators to keep his fridge running. The house was already hot and dark; no food on top of that, plus three little kids, equals disaster.
Funny thing though: My nephew says someone shot at a NIPSCO line worker in Gary, and that's one reason service restoration has been slow. I love and respect my nephew, but I'm not sure I believe him on this. The Chicago Sun-Times has been covering this pretty regularly, and they haven't had word one on any violence.
What's clear is that that people are getting pissed about the delay. But who the fuck can blame them?
There was a story that they "paused" restoration in Gary ~only~, because of that shooting incident, which is quite credible given peoples' nerves have been on edge about this. The widespread *DARK* and unknown can be rattling. It's not clear if the crews were shot *at* or if they just witnessed gunshots nearby. Either way, I would pause it too. That one incident was definitely not the cause of the multi-county delay. The one gas station 3 blocks from me was the only one operating for miles around and there were LONG lines and tension. At one point the cops closed the station because some idiots were causing trouble and fighting, and rumors that someone may have been packing. So I drove to Gary for gas and no problem, go figure. We were supposed to be out the full 2 weeks til the 25th, but somehow they managed to get us up on the 18th - still, 8 days without.
Indianapolis (IPL) also has guidelines for lineworkers in certain pockets of the city; threats and weapons happen really frequently. Here's the thing, though: You can't refuse to restore power. You can use police escorts, make sure restoration is only occurring during daylight hours, post advance notice, etc -- but you can't deny service.
Gary had the highest wind recorded in the storm, 99 mph. They were hit bad by the March tornados. This town is probably the disinvestment capital of the U.S. even in "good" times. Many, many of its traffic lights are non-operational ~for years~ ... stop signs have been posted at these intersections while the signals still stand. There is scant traffic anyway. It's sad because it was once the jewel of the Region, complete with its Broadway Ave shopping strip downtown that drew people from miles around. If you imagine the space without buildings, it's a beautiful dune-and-swale topography that could give it a resort complexion. You could envision it at the vast National Park that has been hard-fought preserved just a few miles east. Unfortunately it was desecrated by industry. Huge sand dunes were mined. Many steel megaliths boomed then busted. Tax burden shifted to residents. Not a unique story in the USA, one of many which have poorly balanced exploitative vs. sustainable development.
On 8/12, the very day after we were all plunged into darkness, destruction, and basement flooding, I spotted a house about a block away who decided to haul out his "Trump Won" flag and just rub it in peoples' faces. It's pretty faded~ish, might be from 2016, and it flies every once in a while. He was darkened with the rest of us. Now the whole neighborhood knows for sure that this is not just your garden-variety MAGA AH, rather a special vintage. As Liz stated below, there is Ruby Red here in this otherwise Blue Region and alas it is growing. A few days later the flag was down. I saw my congressman a few days later near his home in town and he said FEMA help is in doubt but the governor was sending the National Guard to help our town's public works dept clean up. We got power back on 8/18 and crews were cleaning up tree debris all week. My neighbor behind me is still on a generator because a huge tree limb fell and ripped the service drop off the house, who knows when that will get fixed. This is a generational disaster, many trees older than I am were lost, never been like this before. And Nipsco's response was veeerrrry slow, there were no trucks around for a week before they finally showed up, said they were "assessing". ComEd from IL has been summoned TODAY, 8/22, they were faster in IL both this time and on the 7/27 tornado which did extensive damage in the Chicago Southland, which we were spared from. Feds claim a FEMA "declaration" but it was made 4 days after the storm and appears kinda weak-saucy, i.e. --
"Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize and provide, << at its discretion >>, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, limited to direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75% federal funding."
https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20260816/president-donald-j-trump-approves-emergency-declaration-indiana
Best of luck there. I'm in California, and he ignored our latest wildfire.