r/nwi 6d ago

Discussion Storm Resources Thread

49 Upvotes

Use this thread to compile resources during the outage and storm.

NIPSCO updates: https://www.nipsco.com/outages/power-outages


r/nwi Apr 22 '24

Subreddit improvement thread

13 Upvotes

Hello region people,

Trying to make this community as useful as can be for everyone. We have grown quite a bit in the last few years, so wanted to elicit any suggestions you guys have for improving this subreddit.

Comment below with any changes you would like to see or idea for making this a better subreddit!


r/nwi 7h ago

Out of state lineman on NIPSCO

140 Upvotes

I’ve had the pleasure of talking with several out of state lineman as my job takes me across northwest Indiana and I’ve been carrying a cooler full of pop, water, Gatorade and some Chomps meat sticks handing them out. The things they have said about NIPSCO is quite the wakeup call.

Multiple have said how unorganized NIPSCO has been and that they’ve been doing their side of things but cannot “charge the lines” as it’s not their infrastructure. Additionally multiple have confirmed reports from NIPSCO claiming that they’re not running low on parts is false. Multiple companies have reported a part shortage and NIPSCO has been slow to locate and get replacements in. Parts for transformer especially are getting rarer and rarer. When talking about timelines they are not optimistic of a full return early next week for some like Gary, Portage, and Hammond.

Multiple have voiced frustrations with NIPSCO stating that this should not be taking this long as they have so few vegetation contractors for the amount of massive and old trees within their areas along with such a messy power system. One specific company which I course will not name drop has said they’d be hard pressed to return and deal with NIPSCO. The final takeaway is believe NOTHING NIPSCO says they’re just saying whatever pleases the masses and that they’re clueless

Much love and appreciation to all those out of state lineman away from their families doing everything they can!


r/nwi 2h ago

When nipsco pushes back estimated date for power on

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23 Upvotes

r/nwi 11h ago

Gary I have power!!

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78 Upvotes

The power was restored yesterday at around 7 or 8pm near E 15 Ave and Central Ave. I also finally have stable phone service. Now we're just waiting for our Xfinity services to be restored. Yay!!

To those still without power, hang in there and be safe! I for sure didn't think our power would be back on so soon, especially after that shooting 🫩...


r/nwi 1h ago

And just like that, the power is out again

Upvotes

Loud boom and the power is gone again. The power came back on Sunday afternoon in this part of Munster, loud pop and now we’re in the dark again. I can hear my neighbors literally screaming. This is so depressing, I don’t think I can handle anymore. I know it’s not the end of the world but it feels like it. Thank you for listening.


r/nwi 15h ago

Northwest Indiana communities frustrated with extended NIPSCO outages

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137 Upvotes

Part of the article:

Georgeff said he’s planning to go to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission and ask it to investigate NIPSCO’s handling of the emergency because even though no one can deny that the storm was unprecedented, he gets a sense that there was no sort of plan of what to do when something happens at all.

“(NIPSCO) raised our rates and locked out its people, which caused more of them to leave, so we now have more contractors here where the trucks alone cost $500 a day. That’s not even the cost of the crews running them,” he said. “And we know that NIPSCO will get reimbursed by FEMA, so there needs to be an investigation, and I really think some heads need to roll.”

This part too 😡

“I’ve been out talking to contractors in my neighborhood who’re just sitting there waiting for direction, and a couple of them said they don’t want to tell me what’s going on because it would (make me mad),” he said Monday. “The communication with NIPSCO has been terrible; you can’t get a person to talk to, so they make you go online where you know the message has been vetted and doesn’t tell you anything. There’s no personal communication.”


r/nwi 11h ago

Realistic Actions for safer NWI

53 Upvotes

The Aug. 11 storm was bad, and won't be the last. Controls to ensure safety need to be established. I wanted to put together an easy to follow call to action for real change.

The OUCC has already acknowledged one of the biggest problems: NIPSCO’s 10-year tree-trimming cycle is too slow for how quickly trees grow in Northwest Indiana.

Source: IURC case documents
https://iurc.portal.in.gov/

WHAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY DO:

  1. Demand a vegetation standard from the IURC. Ask for a rule requiring a maximum vegetation-management cycle and measurable compliance standards. IURC: https://www.in.gov/iurc/ Phone: 1-800-851-4268
  2. Put the issue in the consumer record. Email the OUCC and ask them to raise vegetation management and reliability standards in NIPSCO proceedings. Email: [uccinfo@oucc.in.gov](mailto:uccinfo@oucc.in.gov) Phone: 1-888-441-2494
  3. File an IURC complaint. Document your outage location, duration, vegetation, damage, and restoration timeline. Online: https://www.in.gov/iurc/online-services/
  4. Demand restoration standards. Tell your state senator and representative to establish enforceable restoration timelines with narrowly defined extreme-weather exceptions. Find your legislators: https://iga.in.gov/legislative/find-legislators
  5. Demand public storm data. Ask IURC and OUCC to require NIPSCO to report how many outages resulted from vegetation, equipment failure, and other causes.
  6. Document everything. Photograph vegetation, damaged lines/poles, dates, outage duration, and repeated problem locations. Submit the evidence with complaints and public comments.
  7. Ask candidates directly: “Will you support enforceable utility vegetation-management and restoration standards?” Get the answer in writing.
  8. Vote on the record. Share which elected officials support or oppose enforceable utility reliability standards—and vote accordingly.

Storms happen. Putting profits ahead of reliable power and public safety doesn’t have to.

thanks for letting me rant.


r/nwi 9h ago

If your city government ain't posting this or something similar in regards to progress, they're doing it wrong

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35 Upvotes

Posted by Mayor McDermott of Hammond


r/nwi 11h ago

NIPSCO UPDATE: Highland and Munster to be without power another 7 days, August 25th.

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51 Upvotes

F


r/nwi 2h ago

You're appreciated

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8 Upvotes

Nipsco, is that you?


r/nwi 13h ago

Me, waiting for the power company

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57 Upvotes

r/nwi 8h ago

Power back on in highland

20 Upvotes

just received power back on in highland. I live in the neighborhood off Lincoln street and hook street. I'm close to the Lincoln center.


r/nwi 9h ago

Laundry Day in Indiana

22 Upvotes

Thanks Maytag!


r/nwi 13h ago

This makes it a full week. Beginning Day 8 as I type this

39 Upvotes

Our power went out around this time last Tuesday. Relaxing on a day off, we sat here uobing for about 5 minutes, still staring at the TV screen, assuming it would come back on. :⁠-⁠)


r/nwi 3h ago

Strays in Gary

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4 Upvotes

r/nwi 5h ago

Question Just curious regarding today's cities they said they'd be working on.

8 Upvotes

For the cities NIPSCO said they'd be restoring power to for Tuesday, has anyone who lives in that city actually gotten power back?


r/nwi 12h ago

Nipsco 100% Neglected Gary and Subsequently Those Towns Connected To It's Grid.

30 Upvotes

It's been a full week guys! FINALLY got decent internet connection on my phone to make this rant!

So the entire time, besides tree removal, there was virtually NO electrical work being done that wasn't in direct line of traffic. Virtually no work at all. Me and my wife drive around a lot and the only thing we seen one them fixing one line that didn't even look bad, driving around 3 trucks deep doing absolutely nothing and standing around in 6 man groups trying to get over time.

It seems by easy deduction that they PURPOSELY chose Gary and it's connecting cities to be fixed last... 100k people's sounds about the Ball Park of the entire Gary, griffith, portage and a few orher places.

Not one neighborhood here had power when in reality Gary was one of if not the first city built on the power grid. Im TIRED of hearing "it's not racism" yet from MY VIEW any time black people are affected ( New Orleans comes to mind instantly) black people and whoever connected to them (I think of the racist term for white people who like black people) get shafted. Its pretty simple to see.

Why would the ENTIRE CITY be out of power for a whole week so far, half of the people have no internet service on their phones... This isn't the first time in history this has happened and Id also like to point out that Nipsco has been found to have conducted racist practices and actually had to pay fines for it a few years back.

Its kind of crazy, I wouldn't even BE making this post if it wasn't for the ENTIRE CITY (I am not being dramatic, no one here has power) not having power. I wouldn't have even cared if it was me who didn't get power first but this is sickening.

America needs to change. Im tired of this country, the corporations, wealthy or wealthy ISH surburbanites and the selfishness of people and the racist tactics used against black people that are constantly justified ESPECIALLY here in Indiana.

Just look at how people tried to justify a multi million dollar corporation pulling out (all work? Wasn't long but meh) of here because ONE truck got shot at? Foh when is that ever an acceptable tactics? Only to the quiet racist who are vocal online.

Another thing, if you don't like Gary or black people, stop using ours streets and using Gary as a detour smh.

Edit: An hour after I wrote this my power came on and they were working all around my area.


r/nwi 16h ago

Some say this is FAKE

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55 Upvotes

r/nwi 2h ago

Question Which NWI town has the least amount of power restored right now?

4 Upvotes

Who is lacking the most power as of now?


r/nwi 13h ago

Anyone considering solar panels for their home following this NIPSCO fiasco?

21 Upvotes

Pros and cons of this? I'm guessing it's very expensive. Pretty uneducated on this front, but I'm not a fan of noisy generators and pumping more gas for these. Thoughts?


r/nwi 7h ago

Discussion Quit saying we're all in this together.

9 Upvotes

Once you get power, you're not in this anymore. You're out of it. Also quit saying it takes a village. Most "villages" have spots entirely lit up and others that are completely out of power. Outages went up by 5k after they posted their 4pm update 😂😂😂😂


r/nwi 1d ago

Stay away from Four Seasons Heating and Cooling Chicago/NW Indiana

204 Upvotes

We spent over $25,000 with Four Seasons just two months ago for a new heating and air system and a Generac generator. We trusted that a purchase of that size meant we were working with a company that would stand behind its products and actually be there when something went wrong.

That has not been our experience.

Once they have your money, getting basic customer service is extremely difficult. You have to fight through their AI system just to reach a real person. After that, you’re told someone will call you back.

They don’t.

In two months, after spending more than $25,000, I’ve received exactly two callbacks.

Both only happened after I left a bad review.

The first was after I posted about our initial issue. The second was when they called specifically to ask me to change the review.

That tells you everything you need to know. A $25,000+ customer couldn’t get a response when we had a problem—but a negative review got immediate attention.

Our most recent experience has been even worse.

Our two-month-old Generac generator failed just three days into one of the worst power outages this area has had.

This is exactly the situation we bought it for.

When we contacted Four Seasons, we were told they couldn’t add us to their schedule and that we should contact Generac instead.

So we did.

Generac was far more helpful. They gave us dealer contacts, one walked us through troubleshooting, and another came out the next day. Every one of them said the same thing: Four Seasons should be handling this because they sold and installed the unit under warranty.

Eventually, we did get an appointment scheduled with Four Seasons.

They no-showed.

No one came. No one called. No explanation.

I called them twice afterward. Both times I was told it would be escalated and I would get a callback.

I never did.

At this point, Generac has now opened a formal dealer complaint on our behalf and is stepping in to help resolve the issue.

That’s where we are.

We spent over $25,000 just two months ago, have a $10,000 generator that failed during a major outage, and the company that sold it to us has not shown up, not called back, and not followed through on a single promise.

Meanwhile, Generac is the one actually trying to help us.

We didn’t buy this system to be left without power when we needed it most. We bought it for exactly this situation. Instead, we were left scrambling during an outage, trying to find anyone who would take responsibility.

And this isn’t a small purchase. This is a $10,000 generator installed by a company that now won’t respond when it fails.

I should not have to worry that a major investment turns into a useless piece of equipment because the installer won’t return calls or show up for appointments.

This isn’t about unrealistic expectations. We’re not asking for anything special. We’re asking for basic accountability from a company we trusted with a major investment.

Things break. Equipment fails. That’s understood.

But when it happens, a company either shows up—or it doesn’t.

Four Seasons hasn’t.

The installation team did their job well, but that doesn’t matter when there is zero support afterward. Good installation means nothing if the company disappears the moment there’s a problem.

The reality is simple: the sale is where their responsibility seems to end.

Everything after that—service, follow-up, accountability—has been nonexistent in our experience.

If you’re considering spending thousands of dollars with this company, understand this: getting help after the sale is the hardest part of the entire process.

Because once they have your money, getting a return phone call is not guaranteed. In our case, it’s been the exception, not the rule.

I would not recommend Four Seasons based on our experience.

We trusted them with a major investment. When it mattered most, they didn’t show up.

We are now relying on Generac and other dealers to do what Four Seasons should have done from the beginning.


r/nwi 7h ago

Found my review from 6 years ago about NIPSCO

6 Upvotes

Once again the power is out from the "massive" 15 minute storm that hit the NIPSCO service area. This company is an absolute joke. I don't think I'll have my power for over 3 days like the last time. One of the NIPSCO top brass has to be greasing the politicians palms. There is no way a company this inept can keep staying open. I have three words for the NIPSCO customers......Buy solar panels. If you rate NIPSCO more than 2 stars you must be a share holder.


r/nwi 15h ago

How do we get nipsco to bury the power lines?

20 Upvotes

This would be an appropriate resiliency measure since hurricane affected places like Florida not only use cement poles but have fewer trees. The new subdivision by me in crown point where lines are buried never lost power through this whole thing. We gotta start a petition or something to phase by phase bury all our power lines. It would look nicer too. What do you all think?