Frustration grows in Hammond, Indiana, over power restoration timeline; new one provided for Gary

It's officially week two for some in northwest Indiana who have been without power following last week's storms. 

Damage remains in some areas, but the common concern is the power outages, with some asking for transparency as to when they can expect their power to be restored.

The outages not only mean that people are without lights, but also cannot store food in their homes. 

In Hammond, Nathaniel Laseter and his wife were outside their home of seven years. He said he tried to get NIPSCO on the phone, but got the same automated message that power was supposed to be restored early Tuesday morning, only to be given the same timeline after calling again on Wednesday.

"It ain't funny at all. It's sad. It's really bad. You know, it's getting overwhelming?" he said.

The two have been going out to pick up hot meals for over a week after the outages, traveling to different towns, including Gary and Highland, where meal giveaways are being held. 

They've had to change their entire work schedules to accommodate the time it takes to get a free meal. Laseter says he has to save his food just to have something to eat while at work. 

"You gotta get out there and probably wait in line probably for like an hour until," he said.

They say in the meantime, their kids are away with family and friends that do have power. Aside from having the lights turned on. They and their neighbors say they just want answers.

"I see Nipsco down there at the end of the block, but they're not talking to us. They don't say anything to us about what they're doing."

One worker told CBS News Chicago off camera that they feel they could use more manpower on the heels of losing employees following this year's lockout and labor dispute.

The city did not respond to any of our requests for an interview on Wednesday. NIPSCO also has yet to respond with a timeline for Hammond residents. 

Restoration timeline provided for Gary

Despite not giving a timeline in Hammond, NIPSCO did provide an update on power restoration efforts in Gary on Wednesday afternoon, where residents are frustrated and confused by the lack of information.

Contractors from DeSoto, a Florida-headquartered group, have been spotted in Gary working on behalf of NIPSCO.

Resident Austin Hedrick's home in the Aetna neighborhood, one of the hardest-hit areas, has minimal power after he purchased a second generator for $600. Besides his generator, the rest of the block remains silent.

"Honestly, we weren't prepared. We had to figure all this out while we already didn't have power," he said.

His cousin is keeping an eye on NIPSCO's restoration timeline, but one thing stands out.

"We're nowhere on the list. It just says 'undetermined' for Gary, but everyone else has a list with a date and a time. When they'll have power. We're the only ones that don't," Hedrick said.

Mayor Eddie Melton addressed the listing he said was shared via a Facebook post.

"Gary has not been left behind. We have had support, we have had linemen working every single day since the storm, post-storm, and we're here to make sure our residents have the information they deserve that our city remains a priority in the recovery efforts led by NIPSCO," he said. 

Melody Birmingham, who is the Executive Vice President and Group President of Utilities at NiSource Inc, added that no timeline was shared because the confidence to provide an ETR was not there    

"They're in a PR crisis, not just a PR crisis ... in a crisis period," said  1st District Councilwoman Lori Latham.

She acknowledges the historic number of outages but says she's concerned about the lack of progress. 

"I was told at the earliest Sunday night, which has come and gone, then I thought they told us 90% by Tuesday night, which has come and gone. 100 by Friday? We'll see," she said.

Latham told her constituents that she's focused on what they can do to help each other right now. Placing blame will come later, though she said they are having those conversations amongst themselves.

"Yeah, they happen. It's hard to talk about this without having that conversation, yes," she said.

The one mistake she says that NIPSCO can fix immediately?

"Don't issue another list without Gary on it," she said.

Latham, who is also still without power, says she's directing residents to help neighbors in homes without electricity and to support the small businesses that do.

During the update, Birmingham mentioned that power was restored to 17,000 customers as of Wednesday morning and that 22,000 remain without power.

She also provided a timeline for Gary for Tuesday, Aug. 25, at 11:59 p.m. Central Time.

Mayor Melton also answered a question about the shooting that NIPSCO said led to a temporary pause in restoration efforts over the weekend. He said that the incident is still under investigation.