Gary was put at the end of the line, and would have likely been dead last had they not successfully raised awareness via social media platforms. Other than another town, a fifteen minute drive away, all other listed nearby towns had their power restored despite being significantly less populated than Gary.
Per AI Overview:
All of the other cities listed (East Chicago, Griffith, Merrillville, Hammond, and Highland) had their power restored before Portage and Gary.
(The information is sourced from official power restoration schedules and public updates issued by NIPSCO (Northern Indiana Public Service Corporation) and regional news coverage following the severe storms and tornadoes in Northwest Indiana in August 2026.)