Dear neighbor,
As of this morning, power has been restored to all but 1,200 NIPSCO customers in the Region that were experiencing outages due to the severe weather on Aug. 11. In our district, power has been restored everywhere except for a handful of homes and businesses. If your power is still out, consider reporting your information at this link. You can also reach out to my office at h12@iga.in.gov for additional assistance. Thank you so much for remaining patient over the course of our disaster relief efforts. I know how frustrating it was to go without power for such an extended period of time.
All of the first responders, linemen, and public works employees deserve a huge thank you for all the hard work they have been putting in. I am also extremely thankful for the workers that traveled hundreds of miles to assist our community in our time of need. Our disaster response could not have been successful if it wasn’t for these dedicated men and women. They worked around the clock for two weeks to get our power restored and our streets cleared of debris. If you happen to run into one of these public servants, please take a second to thank them.
Now that most residents have their power back on, it is time for us to start thinking about recovery efforts beyond debris clean up and power restoration. I was blown away by the level of compassion I saw from our neighbors in the wake of so much hardship. In the coming weeks, I encourage all of you to continue that compassion. Our community is resilient. We will come out on the other side of this disaster stronger than ever.
The last two weeks have been very stressful. It is extremely important to take care of your mental health as well as your physical health. If you or anyone you know is in need of mental health assistance, feel free to reach out to Griffith Police Department Social Worker Erica Rios (219-924-7503 Ext. 300), Munster Police Department Social Worker Jessica Sternberg (219-836-6621) or Highland Police Department Social Worker Halie Gonlag (219 924-7503).
You can visit the NIPSCO website to view their outage map and a schedule of when they anticipate power restoration in different parts of the Region. I would also encourage you to check your local government Facebook pages.
Diabetics without refrigeration can get replacement insulin via an Eli Lilly voucher. For more information, call 1-800-Lilly-Rx or 1-800-545-5979.
SNAP beneficiaries that were impacted by the severe weather and ongoing power outages now have more time to request replacement SNAP benefits for food they lost. The federal government has extended the waiver deadline until August 31. To apply for replacement benefits, submit this form to FSSA. To learn more about the extension, click here.
Last week, it was announced that Indiana’s State Disaster Relief Fund will provide up to $5,000 in emergency aid grants to Hoosiers in need. This funding will help families get back on their feet and replace damaged property like clothing, essential appliances, and essential furnishings. Hoosiers can call 211 or visit the link above for more information. It’s HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you take photos and videos of damage, track serial numbers on damaged items and keep receipts for any repairs to document the steps of the recovery process. The more evidence you are able to collect, the more likely you are to receive assistance from the state.
For real-time updates, I suggest that you follow our local city governments and disaster response pages on Facebook. They have been very helpful in providing updates throughout the disaster response. Here are those links for ease of access:
- Lake County Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency
- Town of Highland, Indiana
- Griffith Indiana Police Department
- Town of Munster, Indiana
See my previous disaster relief updates for more information and resources.
- 8/12 Update
- 8/13 Update
- 8/14 Update
- 8/17 Update
- 8/18 Update
- 8/19 Update
- 8/20 Update
- 8/21 Update
- 8/24 Update
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to my office at h12@iga.in.gov or (317) 232-9724. I’m here working for you.
In service,
Rep. Mike Andrade