Indiana alone accounted for more than 267,000 outages, equivalent to about 8% of the state’s roughly 3.3 million customers. The disruption followed repeated rounds of thunderstorms that have also caused deaths, water rescues and widespread damage to electrical infrastructure.
According to AccuWeather, “Rounds of severe thunderstorms will threaten the plains, midwest and east into Thursday with damaging wind gusts, while repeated downpours could trigger dangerous flash flooding.” First responders had already rescued numerous people from floodwaters on Wednesday as crews worked around downed trees, power lines and other storm damage.
The weather has affected several states over multiple days, producing tornadoes, intense rainfall and flash flooding. Emergency teams in Ohio and western Pennsylvania reported multiple water rescues, while authorities continued assessing damage and restoring services in the hardest-hit communities.
Indiana Sees the Largest Concentration of Power Outages
Indiana was the most severely affected state by electricity disruptions, with more than 267,000 customers without power. Northern Indiana Public Service Company, or Nipsco, accounted for most of those outages, with about 258,885 homes and businesses affected.
That total represented about 55% of Nipsco’s roughly 468,000 customers in Indiana. The utility, which is part of Indiana energy company NiSource, said it was still evaluating the extent of the damage and would provide restoration estimates once that assessment was finished.
According to Nipsco, some areas could remain without electricity for days because of extensive damage. “There is widespread damage to electric infrastructure, including downed poles, power lines and trees,” the company said.
The storms have also been linked to fatalities. A four-year-old boy died after a tree fell on a home in Geneva, Indiana, during Tuesday’s storms, the Jennings County sheriff’s office said. Officials in Portage, Indiana, were also investigating whether severe weather contributed to a reported house explosion that killed one person.
Flooding and Outages Extend into Ohio and Neighboring States
Ohio also experienced substantial disruption from the storms. Duke Energy said it was bringing in 1,000 workers to help restore service to more than 171,000 customers affected across greater Cincinnati during the previous 24 hours.
About 46,200 homes and businesses remained without power in Ohio, representing roughly 6% of Duke Energy’s approximately 768,281 customers in the state. Andy Cassidy, Duke Energy’s storm director, said the additional workers would join employees and contractors in Ohio and Kentucky to restore service.
Flooding created separate dangers for residents and emergency crews. According to reporting from Reuters and the Associated Press, authorities in Ohio and western Pennsylvania carried out numerous water rescues as roads and neighborhoods flooded.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine sent 40 members of the Ohio Army National Guard to assist in two counties east of Columbus. He also said dozens of local departments responded, including teams from West Virginia.
In Roseville, Ohio, one resident died during a health emergency after flooded roads prevented first responders from reaching the person, DeWine said. Across the region, utility crews and emergency services continued responding to the combined effects of damaged infrastructure, flooding and widespread electricity failures.
