Indiana goes 9 days without power as war on Iran drives up US energy costs

Indiana faces a prolonged and increasingly grim recovery from deadly storms, with widespread power outages and flooding continuing more than a week after the disaster.

On Thursday, 68,000 customers in northwest Indiana remained without electricity after the August 11 storms, with some areas not expected to regain power until August 25.

The storms began as a powerful system moving from Iowa into the Midwest and developed into a derecho, producing wind gusts of up to 160 km/h in Indiana and widespread destruction.

“The August 11 system brought destructive winds, hail and repeated heavy rainfall, with flooding compounding the damage across northern and central Indiana,” said the US National Weather Service.

Northern Indiana Public Service Co. said it had restored power to 306,500 customers but described the destruction as “unprecedented and widespread” as crews continued repairing broken poles, wires and damaged equipment.

At least seven people have died in Indiana since the storms began, while record flooding forced hundreds from their homes and left major roads, bridges and other infrastructure severely damaged.

The White River reached a record 7.3 meters in parts of the state, while power outages continue to affect thousands of families.

The prolonged blackout is creating additional health risks, including potentially deadly carbon monoxide poisoning from generators, spoiled food and the loss of electricity needed to operate medical equipment.

“Nine days is a long time for a community to be without power,” said Courtney Page-Tan, an Indiana University Indianapolis professor who studies community resilience.

Schools have also been disrupted, with thousands of Indiana students affected as districts remain closed or delay the start of classes because of fallen trees, damaged facilities and continuing power failures.

Page-Tan warned that prolonged school closures could further harm vulnerable families, particularly those who may be unable to work because they cannot find childcare.

“Existing safety concerns regarding trees down across several properties and damage that needs to be repaired” have forced one Indiana school district to postpone its academic year, officials said.

Floodwaters turn deadly in Indiana, leaving six dead

Cars and buildings stood partially submerged in floodwaters in Noblesville, Indiana, as powerful storms and floods swept through the region, killing at least six people.

In Ohio, meanwhile, more than 7.62 centimeters of rain fell in Columbus within 12 hours Thursday, producing flash flooding as the state was still struggling to recover from earlier severe weather.

Emergency crews rescued two women trapped in a flooded creek and saved a 12-year-old boy who was swept from a bridge by rising water, according to fire officials.

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said the latest flooding had created another serious setback for communities already struggling with extensive storm damage.

“We have been all hands on deck supporting residents since last week,” Ginther said, adding that officials would remain focused on recovery despite the renewed flooding.

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