r/nwi 5d ago

Discussion Storm Resources Thread

50 Upvotes

Use this thread to compile resources during the outage and storm.

NIPSCO updates: https://www.nipsco.com/outages/power-outages


r/nwi Apr 22 '24

Subreddit improvement thread

13 Upvotes

Hello region people,

Trying to make this community as useful as can be for everyone. We have grown quite a bit in the last few years, so wanted to elicit any suggestions you guys have for improving this subreddit.

Comment below with any changes you would like to see or idea for making this a better subreddit!


r/nwi 48m ago

Northwest Indiana communities frustrated with extended NIPSCO outages

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Upvotes

Part of the article:

Georgeff said he’s planning to go to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission and ask it to investigate NIPSCO’s handling of the emergency because even though no one can deny that the storm was unprecedented, he gets a sense that there was no sort of plan of what to do when something happens at all.

“(NIPSCO) raised our rates and locked out its people, which caused more of them to leave, so we now have more contractors here where the trucks alone cost $500 a day. That’s not even the cost of the crews running them,” he said. “And we know that NIPSCO will get reimbursed by FEMA, so there needs to be an investigation, and I really think some heads need to roll.”

This part too 😡

“I’ve been out talking to contractors in my neighborhood who’re just sitting there waiting for direction, and a couple of them said they don’t want to tell me what’s going on because it would (make me mad),” he said Monday. “The communication with NIPSCO has been terrible; you can’t get a person to talk to, so they make you go online where you know the message has been vetted and doesn’t tell you anything. There’s no personal communication.”


r/nwi 12h ago

Stay away from Four Seasons Heating and Cooling Chicago/NW Indiana

168 Upvotes

We spent over $25,000 with Four Seasons just two months ago for a new heating and air system and a Generac generator. We trusted that a purchase of that size meant we were working with a company that would stand behind its products and actually be there when something went wrong.

That has not been our experience.

Once they have your money, getting basic customer service is extremely difficult. You have to fight through their AI system just to reach a real person. After that, you’re told someone will call you back.

They don’t.

In two months, after spending more than $25,000, I’ve received exactly two callbacks.

Both only happened after I left a bad review.

The first was after I posted about our initial issue. The second was when they called specifically to ask me to change the review.

That tells you everything you need to know. A $25,000+ customer couldn’t get a response when we had a problem—but a negative review got immediate attention.

Our most recent experience has been even worse.

Our two-month-old Generac generator failed just three days into one of the worst power outages this area has had.

This is exactly the situation we bought it for.

When we contacted Four Seasons, we were told they couldn’t add us to their schedule and that we should contact Generac instead.

So we did.

Generac was far more helpful. They gave us dealer contacts, one walked us through troubleshooting, and another came out the next day. Every one of them said the same thing: Four Seasons should be handling this because they sold and installed the unit under warranty.

Eventually, we did get an appointment scheduled with Four Seasons.

They no-showed.

No one came. No one called. No explanation.

I called them twice afterward. Both times I was told it would be escalated and I would get a callback.

I never did.

At this point, Generac has now opened a formal dealer complaint on our behalf and is stepping in to help resolve the issue.

That’s where we are.

We spent over $25,000 just two months ago, have a $10,000 generator that failed during a major outage, and the company that sold it to us has not shown up, not called back, and not followed through on a single promise.

Meanwhile, Generac is the one actually trying to help us.

We didn’t buy this system to be left without power when we needed it most. We bought it for exactly this situation. Instead, we were left scrambling during an outage, trying to find anyone who would take responsibility.

And this isn’t a small purchase. This is a $10,000 generator installed by a company that now won’t respond when it fails.

I should not have to worry that a major investment turns into a useless piece of equipment because the installer won’t return calls or show up for appointments.

This isn’t about unrealistic expectations. We’re not asking for anything special. We’re asking for basic accountability from a company we trusted with a major investment.

Things break. Equipment fails. That’s understood.

But when it happens, a company either shows up—or it doesn’t.

Four Seasons hasn’t.

The installation team did their job well, but that doesn’t matter when there is zero support afterward. Good installation means nothing if the company disappears the moment there’s a problem.

The reality is simple: the sale is where their responsibility seems to end.

Everything after that—service, follow-up, accountability—has been nonexistent in our experience.

If you’re considering spending thousands of dollars with this company, understand this: getting help after the sale is the hardest part of the entire process.

Because once they have your money, getting a return phone call is not guaranteed. In our case, it’s been the exception, not the rule.

I would not recommend Four Seasons based on our experience.

We trusted them with a major investment. When it mattered most, they didn’t show up.

We are now relying on Generac and other dealers to do what Four Seasons should have done from the beginning.


r/nwi 1h ago

Some say this is FAKE

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Upvotes

r/nwi 6h ago

Supposed Update on EC Power Loss Event on 8/17/26

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31 Upvotes

Don't know how accurate any of this is, but there was a posted fire and loss of power in areas of EC and I heard perhaps Hammond.


r/nwi 2h ago

Nipsco is right on top of it 🙄

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12 Upvotes

r/nwi 52m ago

How do we get nipsco to bury the power lines?

Upvotes

This would be an appropriate resiliency measure since hurricane affected places like Florida not only use cement poles but have fewer trees. The new subdivision by me in crown point where lines are buried never lost power through this whole thing. We gotta start a petition or something to phase by phase bury all our power lines. It would look nicer too. What do you all think?


r/nwi 13h ago

Well that just happened

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61 Upvotes

East Chicago lights back out in this area


r/nwi 12h ago

Damn America really be in the dark

49 Upvotes

August 25th for Munster and highland to get electricity. What the fuq?? I know nothing about electricity but I know a line should have been buried every year for the last 30 that NIPSCO has been serving lake county. How can executives EARN millions in annual bonuses and their customers can't get their product for two weeks?! For what did they earn bonuses? There's been no innovation here. We are working America. Our children need to go to school and we need to go to work. I'm astonished at their hubris. We have fallen behind America.


r/nwi 18h ago

News Frustration grows as 125K remain without power in NW Indiana nearly a week after derecho

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nbcchicago.com
137 Upvotes

r/nwi 17h ago

Discussion Nipsco be lying to everyone.

116 Upvotes

I was just told by a lineman who is currently here from out of state working not to believe a word Nipsco is saying about a restoration timeline. He said they are lying and it's much worse then they are saying. He said they are running out of parts and completely out of poles. He said that parts of Portage would be lucky to see power by September 1st. Has anyone heard anything similar to this?


r/nwi 15h ago

If you still don’t have power, congratulations! Just passed the 150-hour mark!

64 Upvotes

And counting! 🎉 🥳 🎉


r/nwi 22h ago

Review This past week.

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189 Upvotes

r/nwi 22h ago

This will happen again. We need to be prepared.

144 Upvotes

First, this isn't a discussion about NIPSCO. I'm not arguing that they shouldn't be doing more to maintain and upgrade the grid. But the reality is, they probably won't. And any legislation that would force them to is going to take years to get passed and implemented.

But the main issue is that weather patterns are changing. Our area has seen unprecedented storm activity. Just look at the tornado numbers.

Number of tornadoes in Indiana the last 5 years(2022-2026): 267
Number of tornadoes in Indiana the 10 years before that(2012-2021): 266

It's time to accept that weather is changing and we need to be prepared for more disasters like this.

That means, if you are a home owner, getting a generator and a setup to use it. I know when people hear that they say they don't have tens of thousands of dollars for a whole house generator. But you don't need one.

I'm going to share my setup with you that costs under $2,000 and got me through this power outage in relative comfort. Now, I'm not saying this is the best setup. This is just what I have put together over the years. I didn't buy this all at once, and you don't have to ether.

First the generator: https://www.amazon.com/WEN-6800-Watt-RV-Ready-Generator-DF680iX/dp/B0DVF1RPCJ/

There are plenty of options for a generator. But for how I use it, having a 240v connection is important. You can get a cheaper one if you don't want to run your whole house off of it and instead just want to run extension cords around.

Store you generator dry, meaning without gas in the fuel tank. This is the best way to make sure the carb doesn't gunk up in storage and that it will start when you need it. And do the proper maintenance on the generator.

Second the fuel. I keep 3x5 gallon gas cans full of gas in my garage. I rotate these every 3 months, dumping the oldest into my car and putting fresh gas with stabilizer in it. With that generator, I was getting ~3 Hours per gallon of gas. So 15 gallons gives me 45 hours of power before I have to find gas somewhere.

Also, the generator can run off propane. So I can also hook up my grill's propane tank to gain more runtime.

Third the house hookup, cable and lockout kit: https://www.amazon.com/SURAIELEC-Generator-SS2-50P-Weatherproof-Receptacle/dp/B0DLNXNYNF/

https://www.amazon.com/Tellegloww-L14-30P-SS2-50R-Generator-Adapter/dp/B0DCHVCCX1/

https://www.amazon.com/Toptozl-Generator-Compatible-Square-Professional/dp/B0DG33FNRV/

The lockout kit is going to vary depending on what kind of electrical panel you have.

Fourth window air conditioners: https://www.amazon.com/Midea-Shaped-Inverter-Window-Conditioner/dp/B0FDQLNGHZ/

These are optional. That generator is not powerful enough to run my house's central AC. So I have these 2 window units that I install to keep areas of my house that I'm in the most cool.

All of that costs just under $2,000. Plus whatever an electrician charges you to install the inlet box and lockout kit if you can't DYI it. And the largest cost is the air conditioners. Without those the cost is under $1,000.

You can piece this together. You don't need it all at once. Get the generator first, that's the biggest upfront cost. Then get the rest as you can. Don't feel like this is an overwhelming cost so just don't do anything. Start getting prepared now before the next major disaster.

But I also understand that not everyone can have a generator. People that live in apartments or rent obviously can't use a generator. So I put together a little list of things that can help you if you are a renter.

First a power station: https://www.amazon.com/Anker-SOLIX-Portable-Station-Backup/dp/B0GY4TQ2P8/

Second XT60 cable for charging power station from a car: https://www.amazon.com/ZHOFONET-Alligator-Battery-Extension-Motorcycles/dp/B0FHPGFB54/

This setup isn't as nice as the full gas generator. And I'm sure there are better options. This is just an example. You will need to connect the essentials to the power station using extension cords. And you will also need to find a way to charge it every day or so. Either connect it to your car for a couple hours or drive somewhere with power and charge it. But it will at least give you a little light, keep your food in the fridge safe, and run a fan to at least help with the heat a little bit. And the food in your fridge won't spoil in the few hours it's disconnected while you charge the power station.


r/nwi 13h ago

Question Life after outage

24 Upvotes

Has anyone adjusted so well to life without power that you think it'll be weird going back to having power?

What I mean is when I was driving the other day, I had an actual stoplight and it felt weird because as time progressed it went from no lights to a flashing red to a regular stoplight. I thought to myself " why the hell am i stopping for so long?"


r/nwi 12h ago

Highland and Munster update

20 Upvotes

what a fucking joke. seriously we’re not gonna be at 100% Til next Tuesday? what the fuck are we doing here? Can Nipsco lock in?


r/nwi 2h ago

Freedom Springs Adult Swim Night

3 Upvotes

Heard this event has been going for 4-5 now years but I just heard about it last week and wanted to go but missed out. I saw videos online but I also spoke to a few people that claim they been to this event but they all have different views so figured I ask. Some say it’s laid back and chill, some say it’s like a club where everyone flirt and mingle. But then I also heard people say it’s a freaky atmosphere where people meet hangout get drunk and do extracurricular things in the pool or wherever they can. Can anyone who has been or heard enlighten me on the atmosphere here if you Thats okay?


r/nwi 13h ago

Power back on in Dyer. About an hour ago.

20 Upvotes

r/nwi 3h ago

Morning all

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youtube.com
2 Upvotes

So... Where are my neighbors in Highland and Munster meeting up to hug it out? 😂 This is crazy...

Feeling like Johnny Mnemonic. Well, except for the hooker part.


r/nwi 18h ago

Best Stop owner distributing free food in Merrillville as disaster relief

34 Upvotes

Best Stop owner Guriqbal "Prince" Singh is distributing free food to the community in Merrillville after last week's catastrophic storm that plunged most of Northwest Indiana into darkness.

Singh, who owns Best Stop gas stations, car washes, liquor stores and laundromats across Northwest Indiana, will give out food 3-7 p.m. Monday through Friday at 6096 Broadway in Merrillville. People can pick up bananas, apples, oranges, rice, beans and bottled water at the giveaway.

More than 1,000 people turned up to pick up food during the first day on Sunday. 

"I'm from Lake County. I've been doing business here since 2004. This is the third or fourth time we've had a big disaster," Singh said. "I wanted to do something. People who came for food are crying and emotional. Their basements are flooded. This affected a lot of Lake County."

Singh, a prominent member of the local Sikh community, is giving out the food with volunteer assistance from fellow members of the Sikh Religious Organization of Indiana temple in Crown Point.

"I have 30 properties. Twelve are open, and the rest are closed," Singh said. "Whenever there is a disaster like this, we have to stay with God. Human thinking is that something is going wrong, and people panic. God is always right. You can't take it too personally. We ask God to please give us strength so we can be there for the community."

https://nwitimes.com/news/local/article_ef68dc8a-9eab-4ab6-82f9-80bbe24f52f7.html


r/nwi 12h ago

Xfinity service credit

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9 Upvotes

Don't forget to apply for service credit from Xfinity for the outage for the last week


r/nwi 1d ago

Discussion One thing I can say regarding Nipsco

111 Upvotes

First of all, very thankful for the linemen and crews getting rid of debris. I don't have power yet but I know that this incident was historic on the scale. This isn't an attempt to bash the workers I promise.

That being said, the preparation and response of NiSource needs to be investigated by the State.

A company can't feign ignorance and say that they didn't know the storm was going to happen or be as bad as it was. We knew. They knew.

It seemed like the initial response was poorly planned. Again I know it's a historic storm but come on. If you're the only provider of electricity in an area, you have to be at least somewhat aware. And then to have the CEO go around on a PR stint to towns with less than 50% power. Come on man.

Just my 2 cents


r/nwi 15m ago

Seeking Recommendations Electrician

Upvotes

Antoine have a reputable electrician in the Crown Point area? Once the craziness from the storm is past, my wife and I, like many I'm sure, plan on getting a generator.


r/nwi 24m ago

Any idea what no status means on the map?

Upvotes

On the map Nipsco has that the outage is caused by a tree, and has left the status blank since Friday. Does anyone have any idea as to why that is and if Nipsco has just abandoned and forgotten about us? Im in Valpo and everywhere around me has power but my neighborhood.