STORY: Thousands of residents of Gary, Indiana are still without power, more than a week after storms battered the U.S. Midwest earlier this month.

According to data from PowerOutage.us on August 14, severe storms left more than 360,000 homes and businesses. Indiana was the hardest-hit state, with more than 215,803 outages.

As of Thursday (August 20) morning, the Northern Indiana Public Service Co. reported some 68,000 customers were still without power.

Residents of Gary, Indiana have learned to find new ways to get by, with the help of generators and the outdoor barbecue.

Many schools, shops and businesses have shut their doors during the power outage.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: GARY, INDIANA, UNITED STATES (AUGUST 20, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. LOCAL RESIDENT STARTING UP GENERATOR

2. GENERATOR RUNNING

3. GENERATOR RUNNING OUTSIDE HOME

4. VARIOUS OF LOCAL RESIDENT, DEMOND POMPY, GRILLING FOOD OUTSIDE DUE TO LACK OF ELECTRICTY AT HOME

5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LOCAL RESIDENT, DEMOND POMPY, SAYING:

"We've been without power for like the last ten days now. And as you can see, I'm out grilling. You know what I'm saying? It's been like this. But we also do have a generator. But like for the last ten days, we've really been without power, and it's really been bad. Very inconvenient for us. But, you know one thing about us, we want to adapt to any situation."

6. POMPY GRILLING

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LOCAL RESIDENT, DEMOND POMPY, SAYING:

"These are the things that people take for granted. The basic things like power, taking a shower, flushing your toilet. Anything of that nature like that. So, we're really under siege, and I hope they just take care of the situation."

8. VARIOUS OF POWERLINES THAT HAVE COME DOWN

9. TREE THAT HAS COME DOWN NEAR HOME

10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LOCAL RESIDENT, DENISE BAIRNS, SAYING:

"The power went out on the 11th of August, it was about 10:30 that morning when the, storm came through. And it haven't been back home since. We've been in dark ever since. And, the storm took down trees, branches, trees fell on cars and all, and on the houses, all down the street there there's a big tree is sitting in a yard that fell down and stuff. So it's just been rough around here."

11. TREE THAT HAS COME DOWN NEAR HOME

12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LOCAL RESIDENT, DENISE BAIRNS, SAYING:

"They say we probably won't have no power back home until about the 12th of September. And that is too long for anybody to be without power. And all the stores and everything is closed up around here with no, you know, food and stuff. So I don't know. All we can do is pray that we get it on."

13. SERVICE STATION THAT IS SHUT

14. PUMP AT SERVICE STATION THAT IS WITHOUT POWER

15. SHOP WITH SIGN ON DOOR THAT READS (English) "CLOSED. NO POWER."

16. INTERIOR OF SHOP WITHOUT ELECTRICITY

17. INTERSECTION WITHOUT WORKING TRAFFIC LIGHTS