Otto Shragal

Eddie Melton, the mayor of Gary, Indiana, has publicly stated his strong disapproval of the ongoing power outages affecting thousands of residents in his city. These outages are a direct consequence of an August 11 derecho storm that caused widespread damage, including downed trees and power lines, with winds reaching 90 mph. As of the reporting date, residents were entering their eleventh or twelfth day without electricity. Mayor Melton emphasized that this duration is "unacceptable" for families, highlighting the severe disruptions caused by the lack of power. These include issues like food lines, business closures, inoperable phones, school cancellations, spoiled food, and dry gas pumps. His statements underscore the significant impact of the storm and the perceived inadequacy of the response in restoring essential services to the community.