Gary residents face prolonged blackout, mayor pleads for federal intervention

More than 8,600 customers in Gary, Indiana, remain without electricity nearly two weeks after severe storms, with the outage disproportionately affecting the predominantly Black city. A 73-year-old resident with asthma cannot use her nebulizer and relies on an inhaler, while others are cooking food at parks to prevent spoilage. Mayor Eddie Melton has spoken with President Trump and Senator Jim Banks, requesting an executive order and resources to speed up restoration, hoping for full recovery by Tuesday.