Storm’s aftermath, power outages take a health toll in Northwest Indiana
When a storm knocked out her power two weeks ago, Sabrina Scott-Jowers found herself in a stressful situation: figuring out how to get her dialysis treatments on time.
“At home, my dialysis machine was out,” Scott-Jowers says. “I had to go into a center and get it done. I did end up missing one treatment. Toxins in my body built up. And the center machine was harsh, not like what I had at home.”
She ended up feeling sick — nauseated, itchy, “just feeling really, really bad” — for the entire next day.
Although Scott-Jowers has since had her power restored and is back on regular dialysis treatments, the experience continues to affect her mental health and has left her anxious about future storms.
“It’s been physically and mentally trying,” Scott-Jowers says. “I purchased a generator, but that was not in my budget. I’m concerned about the power going out again. I just pray every day the lights don’t go back out.”
The devastating storm system that swept through Northwest Indiana on Aug. 11 left 400,000 homes and businesses without power. Trees across the region fell onto houses, yards, and roads. By Aug. 26, most power had been restored, but in early afternoon 6,048 utility customers remained without power.
“Being without power for days is difficult. Being without power for more than a week is extremely challenging, and we understand the burden that puts on families,” said Vince Parisi, president and chief operating officer of NIPSCO (Northern Indiana Public Service Company), in a statement on the company’s website. “This was the worst damage we have ever seen, and we are grateful for the patience from our customers.”
Thousands of affected residents joined together in a class-action lawsuit against NIPSCO for allegedly neglecting to maintain vegetation around power lines prior to the storm.
Health experts say the prolonged recovery has exacerbated health concerns among residents, particularly those who manage existing conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease, and sleep apnea. It also has created new, widespread mental health challenges for residents who have had to deal with myriad issues, including food shortages, a lack of power or air conditioning, and loss of work.
Beth Noel is director of behavioral health for NorthShore Health Centers, a nonprofit healthcare provider that focuses on lower-income patients. “Residents are not only struggling with the loss of homes, food, and belongings,” she says. “They’ve also seen a loss of stability and a sense of safety.”
That’s showing up for people as increased anxiety, depressive symptoms, irritability, and sleep disruption. “Many people are overwhelmed by the uncertainty of how long rebuilding and cleanup may take,” Noel says.
NorthShore Health experts describe difficult, unprecedented situations residents have found themselves in while trying to take care of their health: a man with diabetes slept in his car to stay cool at night; some people with seizure disorders missed treatments; others had to throw away medication doses, along with food, when refrigerators lost power.
One Gary resident, Sandrona Upshaw, has diabetes and says she thought at one point she might die from medical complications and not being able to run her CPAP machine.
“God is testing us,” Upshaw says. “My church, Tree of Life, and Pastor [Eric] Boone have been a big help to the whole community. But it’s definitely been a struggle. I lost all my food. My mother lost all her food.”
Upshaw’s mother also fell in her home, in complete darkness. “And we had to call the ambulance,” Upshaw says.
Noel warns that the storm may take a toll on children in Northwest Indiana, too. They may now be more fearful of severe weather or ominous forecasts, and they may not want to return to places where they first experienced the storm, including school.
NorthShore Health, which operates several health clinics throughout Northwest Indiana, has been operating a mobile clinic in and around Gary to address residents’ health needs.
The mobile clinic has two doctors’ offices, and practitioners have been bringing residents medication, checking their blood pressure, and assessing their mental health. They’ve also worked to get people
access to medications that were suddenly unavailable to them, either because they had to throw out the medications or because pharmacies, themselves without power, remain closed.
Even as the health workers help others, they also live amid the damage. Gervay Dickerson, director of community engagement for NorthShore Health, says she had to empty a refrigerator’s worth of food due to the power outage and, as the recovery continues, she worries about her teenage son and his mental health. For many of the workers, though, helping others has improved their own mental health.
“Coming to community events [with the mobile clinic] and touching so many people’s lives, honestly that has helped all of us,” Dickerson says. “I gain peace by coming out and helping everyone. I think being in this field, we are used to not putting ourselves first.”
Scott-Jowers, for her part, doesn’t blame the utility company (NIPSCO) or the local government for not being prepared; instead, she praises the community — her neighbors, her church, and especially her family — for supporting one another during the crisis.
“Talking to family kept each other motivated,” Scott-Jowers says. “My sister, my daughter. She was at my side through it all. Neighbors helping each other. But I saw on the news, another storm was coming. I told my daughter: ‘Let’s get my treatment in for the day.’”
Residents with damaged property can apply for federal funding through FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) disaster assistance. Visit in.gov/dhs/emergency-management-and-preparedness/august-2026-disaster for more information.
Aaron Dorman is a reporter based in the Chicago area who specializes in environmental and/or technology issues. He doesn’t understand the difference between mostaccioli and baked ziti; thinks it might be a marketing scam.
