Latest / The Breakfast Club / Gary in the Dark: A Special Episode with Gary Mayor Eddie Melton on the Power Crisis

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Gary in the Dark: A Special Episode with Gary Mayor Eddie Melton on the Power Crisis · The Breakfast Club

• 0:05
  Speaker 1: Hey, it's Mimi Brown and thanks for tuning in to
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: this special episode of Front Page. Thousands of people in Gary,
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: Indiana are still without power, nine days after a deadly
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: storm forth through northwest Indiana. Families have been living without
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: air condition losing groceries, spending money they may not have,
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: just trying to get through the day without electricity, and
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: as the outage drags on, so does the frustration. I
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: spoke with Gary Mayor Eddie Melton about what's happening on
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: the ground, Concerns about the pace of the restoration effort,
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: whether race is playing a role, and what help is
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: available for families who simply can't afford the added costs.
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: Here's our conversation. So for those who don't know, can
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: you explain when the crisis began, when the storms began,
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: which has produced one of the largest blackout events in
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: modern history. Really?
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: Yeah, Well, on August eleventh, a little bit before noon,
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: we had a ninety nine mile an hour wind, straight
• 1:11
  Speaker 2: wind that come through not just Geary, but the entire
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: northern part of the state of Indiana and also Illinois.
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: So that windstorm calls severe destruction. We're talking about homes
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: and cars destroyed, trees have been uprooted, tearing down power lines,
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: causing mass destructure. So we've been recovering from that over
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: the last several days. With that, of course, significant power
• 1:44
  Speaker 2: outages throughout the entire northern part of the northwest Indiana,
• 1:51
  Speaker 2: So we've been recovering from that. So I just want
• 1:54
  Speaker 2: to thank all of the volunteers, all of our Poleaspire,
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: our general service work folks that has been working twenty
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: four to seven around the clock rescuing the folks from
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: their home that were trapped with trees and just making
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: sure that we can start returning back to normal.
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, I wanted to ask you about returning
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: back to normal. I know that people have been without
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: power for more than a week. Now bring us up
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: to speed. How many of your residents are still in
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: the dark and what are you being told about when
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: everyone will finally have power again.
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, sadly, just today we were able to get
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: more specific and accurate information from the utility company before
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: and a lot of the frustration from the public came
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: that data and information wasn't being shared specifically about Gary
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: and a few other neighboring communities. And now I want
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: to be clear Gary is not the only city that
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: has his outage. In the utilities footprint, there were over
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: three hundred thousand customers that were out of power. Out
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: of that three hundred thousand plus eighty two percent have
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: been restored and people as we speak right now are
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: getting restored in Geary, Gary is the population of about
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: sixty eight thousand people. At the height of the storm
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: on le thirty, eight thousand customers were without power in
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  Speaker 2: Geary specifically, right now they've got that number down to
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: about twenty two thousand people are without power, and now
• 3:32
  Speaker 2: that was at around five pm today. Okay, just even
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: on Wednesday, August.
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: Nineteen, because I read that some folks were supposed to
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: get their power back this Friday, but that date has
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: now been pushed back to I think a week from now.
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  Speaker 1: Can you expand on that shed a little light on
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: what's happening there, Yeah, this is what.
• 3:58
  Speaker 2: We're shared with us by the utility company to day.
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: Based on the severity of the damage and the destruction.
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  Speaker 2: More transmissions lines have been identified that are down. They
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  Speaker 2: they're bringing in more contractors from other states to come
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  Speaker 2: in and the CIST Gary is the largest area that
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: they have to come uh. Gary in the city of Hammond,
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  Speaker 2: Indiana as well. So customers and the residents that that
• 4:27
  Speaker 2: I represent are frustrated, they're they're upset. Has been eight
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: nine days going without power. We thank god that power
• 4:36
  Speaker 2: is being restored and the work has not ceased, but
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  Speaker 2: it's still moving at a at a slow pace. And
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  Speaker 2: the reality is we, like you said, we've never seen
• 4:48
  Speaker 2: a storm like this before. Uh, this caliber that did
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: this much destruction that quickly.
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: Schools are closed. You know, people have loss refrigerators full
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: of food. Food businesses are losing money. Some residents they
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: rely on electricity, medical equipment. What are you hearing from
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: people on the ground right now.
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  Speaker 2: Well, we're looking in their spirits uplifted. I want to
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  Speaker 2: just congratulate about hard workers at the YWCA and Gary, Indiana,
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  Speaker 2: one hundred and fifty West fifteenth Avenue. People have been
• 5:26
  Speaker 2: staying there in the sheltered nonprofit organizations from the Red
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: Cross is helping to facilitate that shelter. But folks want
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: to have a place to sleep, and we've been providing that.
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: We've been providing a hot meal every night for folks
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  Speaker 2: that are trying to get to that and they can't
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  Speaker 2: get access to that we encouraged in the call two
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  Speaker 2: to nine eighty one thirteen eleven if they're having some
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  Speaker 2: complications or issues and getting to a shelter, getting to
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  Speaker 2: a place to lay their head or cooling center in
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: the evenings. Because we're still in the summertime, summer months,
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  Speaker 2: but folks have truly stepped up. Denise Williams one of
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: Gary's very own She's contributed every night to make sure
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: that folks have a place to eat. Glenn Robinson, who
• 6:18
  Speaker 2: was his NBA Hall of Famer from Gary, just contributed
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  Speaker 2: over one hundred thousand dollars to make sure that people
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  Speaker 2: have totally trees, they have clothes in a place to
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  Speaker 2: sleep at night, so we would thank him. And Freddy
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: Gibbs just reached out and made a significant contribution to
• 6:37
  Speaker 2: the efforts as well to make this happen. Lowe's Corporation
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: has reached out. They provide cleaning supplies for residents. Some folks,
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: like we said, have to clean out the refrigerators. The
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: list goes on of corporations that are stepping up and
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: the people that are coming to the City of Geary.
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  Speaker 2: Trade of true our herder is on his way here.
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: There's so many influences, but that's an element of that.
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  Speaker 2: But I assuanted folks to realize this. The Senior Geary
• 7:11
  Speaker 2: has always gone through tough times and we're going to
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  Speaker 2: We're going to get out of this. We're holding the
• 7:19
  Speaker 2: utility company accountable to make sure that they communicate our
• 7:24
  Speaker 2: specific and accurate information on the restoration, because we weren't
• 7:28
  Speaker 2: getting that information originally. And now we have a commitment
• 7:32
  Speaker 2: from them that myself that other mayors are going to
• 7:36
  Speaker 2: get daily briefings so we can tell the public where
• 7:40
  Speaker 2: we are and that progress, so people can properly plan
• 7:44
  Speaker 2: for the days to come.
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  Speaker 1: I want to ask you about the federal response. I
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  Speaker 1: know that President Trump has approved an emergency declaration for Indiana,
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  Speaker 1: and I believe the National Guard has been deployed. You
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: can let me know if that's true. But what federal
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  Speaker 1: health has actually reached Gary.
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: Yes, glad, I said. Our Congressman Frank Ravan has been
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: a huge advocate and making sure that he represents Congressional
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  Speaker 2: District one. One day two myself, I declared a natural
• 8:17
  Speaker 2: disaster for the city. That triggered the state to declare
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: the state natural disaster. Now in northwest Indiana we have
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: severe wind damage. But central Indiana, we can't forget about
• 8:30
  Speaker 2: our brothers and sisters in the Indianapolis, central Indiana area.
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  Speaker 2: Significant flooding has taking place right now as they speak,
• 8:38
  Speaker 2: who are recovering from the flooding in central Indiana. So
• 8:44
  Speaker 2: President Trump has declared this emergency, so I believe he's
• 8:48
  Speaker 2: working with Congress. I'm hoping that in the next days
• 8:51
  Speaker 2: or so, we'll see some movement there where resources will
• 8:55
  Speaker 2: be deployed allowing folks to apply to FEMA to get
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: the recent sources to get their weather heads fixed on
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: their homes where the utility is connected to the house
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  Speaker 2: that allows the power to flow, because that's an element
• 9:10
  Speaker 2: that we have to be mindful of that folks need
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: to know. Once power is restored in your neighborhood, if
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: your weatherhead is broken off of the home, that's not
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: the utility company's responsibility, per se. So we're working with them,
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  Speaker 2: We're working with contractors in the community, and we're working
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: with the representatives that speaking on behalf of FEMA to
• 9:35
  Speaker 2: how do we connect folks with these resources, to educate them,
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  Speaker 2: to let them know that this is an element that
• 9:41
  Speaker 2: has to be fixed if it's broken on their home, and.
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  Speaker 1: We're seeing an online conversation in the community asking, you know,
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  Speaker 1: if this were a wealthier, predominantly white community, would we
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: be seeing the same type of response. What do you
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  Speaker 1: have to say to people who think that race and
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: economics are playing a role in what we're seeing happening
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: right now.
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  Speaker 2: Well, the original omission of Gary being included in the
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  Speaker 2: data made it feel as if that was the reality
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  Speaker 2: of knowing the industry like I know it. I know
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  Speaker 2: that you had to be on the ground and see
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  Speaker 2: the devastation across the entire county, and it's a lot
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  Speaker 2: of resources that had to be assessed and deployed to
• 10:26
  Speaker 2: make sure we fix this the correct way, in a
• 10:28
  Speaker 2: safe way. So I'm hoping that NIPSCO is now paying
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: attention to communities like Gary that are very sensitive and
• 10:39
  Speaker 2: understanding that our voices need to be heard. That we
• 10:43
  Speaker 2: typically are overlooked across the board on so many insticism
• 10:47
  Speaker 2: on and national resources perspective, being at the state of
• 10:51
  Speaker 2: federal government, but this is an opportunity for them to
• 10:55
  Speaker 2: step up and truly show not just by once the
• 10:59
  Speaker 2: power restore, but what are they going to do after that,
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  Speaker 2: how do we going to make gary're more resilient. How
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  Speaker 2: do we look at technology, energy efficiency, how do we
• 11:09
  Speaker 2: look at solar panels? So as storms are becoming more fearce.
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  Speaker 2: I mean, it's clocked a ninety nine miles an hour,
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  Speaker 2: but there's some reports that are over one hundred miles
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  Speaker 2: an hour. Once you put the poles back on the ground,
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  Speaker 2: what's going to ensure that these poles are not going
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  Speaker 2: to break again when we have torrential rain and heavy
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  Speaker 2: the more strower winds.
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  Speaker 1: You know, NIPSCO they said that their restoration decisions are
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: based on damage and the electrical system, not the demographics
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  Speaker 1: of a community. But do you believe that? Is that
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: what you're seeing as these power outages and these some
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: of these fixes are going on within different communities.
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  Speaker 2: I think they're doing all that they can to restore
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  Speaker 2: the power. I think they can bring more crews in
• 12:00
  Speaker 2: to aid and assist in that effort. I haven't seen
• 12:03
  Speaker 2: them pull back their efforts, but I do think they
• 12:06
  Speaker 2: should improve the communication. So I would say this the
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  Speaker 2: transparency in the communication, so folks can understand the process
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  Speaker 2: and know where they fit in the timeline for the
• 12:20
  Speaker 2: last week or more. We have been left out of
• 12:24
  Speaker 2: that conversation. So we've pressed lips go, We've demanded more information,
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: and we're finally at that point now. And I'm hoping
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  Speaker 2: that it's folks tuned into the Senior Garri's official Facebook page,
• 12:36
  Speaker 2: our YouTube channel and other means that you're going to
• 12:39
  Speaker 2: get more accurate information on a more timely basis.
• 12:44
  Speaker 1: Okay, I know this. There's gonna be a financial cost
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  Speaker 1: long after the lights come back on spoil groceries. We
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: talked about that, you know, damage home, lost wages, businesses
• 12:54
  Speaker 1: losing thousands of dollars. What assistance is available to people
• 12:59
  Speaker 1: who simply can't afford to absorb these losses.
• 13:02
  Speaker 2: Yes, the state has already started that process. We're encouraging
• 13:06
  Speaker 2: folks in Geary in northwest Indiana to dial to one one.
• 13:11
  Speaker 2: When you dial to one one, that number takes you
• 13:14
  Speaker 2: to reporting your incidentals. So please track and get your
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: receipts if you had to hire a contract and to
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: do some work immediately, or cut in the tree, if
• 13:26
  Speaker 2: you have lost significant amount of food, take pictures of damage.
• 13:32
  Speaker 2: Track all that information, report that to two one one
• 13:35
  Speaker 2: right now and you can look it up right now.
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  Speaker 2: The governor has a lot about five thousand dollars per
• 13:42
  Speaker 2: person or household that's been impacted by this. But to
• 13:47
  Speaker 2: get that, you've got to report it to two one one.
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: And lastly, you know, I know there are people watching
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: listening to this who are just exhausted. They are angry,
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: sleeping in hot houses, throwing away food. Were just trying
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: to figure out, you know, when and how they're going
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: to get their kids back into school. What do you
• 14:05
  Speaker 1: tell them today? What can you promise them we'll come next?
• 14:10
  Speaker 2: Well, I just want to encourage them to stay strong,
• 14:14
  Speaker 2: to rely on the city to reach out to us
• 14:17
  Speaker 2: if we can be of assistance, if it's for food,
• 14:20
  Speaker 2: if it's for shelter, if it's for clothing, if it's
• 14:23
  Speaker 2: just simply from a mental health perspective. We're working with
• 14:27
  Speaker 2: our healthcare professionals to help have conversations with folks because
• 14:31
  Speaker 2: it's to take us toll when mentally. Right now, I'm
• 14:35
  Speaker 2: blessed to have the power. Just came back on a
• 14:38
  Speaker 2: city hall. I'm at city Hall and it's about nine
• 14:40
  Speaker 2: a pm here, but I don't have power at home.
• 14:44
  Speaker 2: So I want to make sure that folks know that
• 14:47
  Speaker 2: we're in this together and the city is here to
• 14:50
  Speaker 2: provide that assistance that we have people around the country
• 14:53
  Speaker 2: because of platforms like this that is paying attention, that's
• 14:57
  Speaker 2: willing and able to assist. Folks can go to Gary
• 15:01
  Speaker 2: dot gov Backslash Storm Recovery. You can learn how if
• 15:07
  Speaker 2: you want to contribute to help feed someone, feed a
• 15:11
  Speaker 2: neighborhood or community, or just simply help in the recovery
• 15:14
  Speaker 2: efforts at cleaning up. All that information is on the website.
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: And that was my conversation with Gary Mayor Eddie Melton
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: as his city continues to recover and thousands wait for
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: their power to come back on. If you need help,
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: or if you know someone who needs help, please take
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: advantage of the resources he spoke about in this episode.
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: That's your front Page. I Mimi Brown. This podcast was
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: brought to you by the Black Effect Podcast Network.