NORTHWEST INDIANA (WOWO) — More than 85,000 NIPSCO customers remain without electricity Wednesday morning, more than a week after severe storms caused widespread damage across northwest Indiana. The number represents a dramatic improvement from the peak of the outages, when NIPSCO reported more th an 300,000 customers without power. But thousands of residents are still beginning their days without electricity as utility crews continue working to repair damage left behind by last week’s storms. According to NIPSCO’s latest restoration timeline, some of the hardest-hit communities are expected to see power return throughout Wednesday and Thursday, while portions of Lake County could remain without service for several more days. NIPSCO said Tuesday that customers in LaPorte and Michigan City were expected to have their electricity restored by midnight Wednesday. WSBT 22 said it had not independently confirmed whether all customers in those communities had power back as of Wednesday morning. The utility’s schedule calls for additional restoration by approximately 5 p.m. Wednesday in Kingsbury, Kingsford Heights, Rolling Prairie, Wanatah and Westville. Residents farther west are facing a longer wait. NIPSCO expects power to be restored in Chesterton and Valparaiso by midnight Thursday, according to the utility’s latest timeline. The situation is expected to be even more prolonged in parts of Lake County. NIPSCO says residents in Highland and Munster could have to wait another week before electricity is fully restored. The continuing outages are a reflection of the extensive damage caused by the storms, which knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of customers across northwest Indiana. At the height of the outages, NIPSCO reported more than 300,000 customers without service. More than a week later, the number has fallen substantially, but the remaining outages are concentrated in areas where storm damage has made repairs more difficult. The restoration process is taking place as communities continue cleaning up downed trees, damaged property and other debris left by the storms. For customers still without electricity, the restoration estimates provide expected timeframes, but individual restoration times can vary depending on the extent of damage and the work required at a particular location. NIPSCO’s restoration schedule also means not every customer in a listed community will necessarily receive power at the exact same time. The utility continues to work through its remaining outages as crews repair damaged infrastructure and reconnect customers. The scale of the original outage makes the progress significant: from more than 300,000 customers without power at the peak to roughly 85,000 still waiting Wednesday morning. Still, for those who remain without electricity, especially in parts of Lake County, the recovery is far from over. NIPSCO customers in affected areas should continue monitoring the utility’s outage information for updates to estimated restoration times as repair work progresses. As of Wednesday morning, the broad restoration outlook is: LaPorte and Michigan City: Expected restoration by midnight Wednesday, although WSBT 22 had not independently confirmed that all customers were back online. Kingsbury, Kingsford Heights, Rolling Prairie, Wanatah and Westville: Expected restoration by about 5 p.m. Wednesday. Chesterton and Valparaiso: Expected restoration by midnight Thursday. Highland and Munster: Some customers may remain without power for another week. More than 85,000 customers were still without power Wednesday morning, underscoring the continuing impact of last week’s storms across northwest Indiana. The post Northwest Indiana Power Outages Continue More Than a Week After Severe Storms appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM. ...read more read less