NASA images show northwest Indiana's blackout from space after catastrophic derecho

The derecho that hit northwest Indiana caused such an extensive power failure that the outage could be detected from space.

NASA nighttime satellite images revealed wide areas where the region's usual glow vanished, underscoring the scale of the electrical disruption.

Here's what to know

To show the impact, NASA compared images of northwest Indiana and the Chicago area taken on Sunday, August 9, and again on Thursday, August 13, after the storms.

As NBC Chicago reported, NIPSCO data showed roughly 317,000 outages in northwest Indiana, closely matching the darkened area in the later image.

The NASA imagery showed entire communities losing the electric glow that normally marks a major population center at night.

Crews had restored electricity to upward of 163,000 customers since the storms began on Tuesday, August 11, but by 11 a.m. on Saturday, August 15, 158,000 NIPSCO customers were still waiting for service to return.

More background

A derecho is a long-lived, fast-moving windstorm capable of causing widespread damage, with impacts that can resemble those of a tornado outbreak or a hurricane-strength storm system.

When a storm like this strikes a heavily populated area, the consequences can extend far beyond downed power lines and darkened homes.

Outages on this scale can threaten lives and livelihoods. Without electricity, families may lose air conditioning during dangerous heat, refrigeration for food and medicine, internet access, and the ability to charge phones or medical devices.

Businesses may also be forced to close, workers can lose wages, and local economies can suffer as spoiled inventory, emergency repairs, and interrupted operations begin to add up.

Worsening extreme weather disasters can put growing pressure on electric grids and emergency response systems. As storms intensify, communities face greater risks to public health, safety, and financial stability, especially when outages last for days.

What's being done?

NIPSCO's most immediate effort has been power restoration, with repair crews working nonstop in the storm's aftermath to reconnect customers.

Restoring power after a widespread wind event can take time, as crews must inspect lines, remove debris, replace poles, and safely reconnect neighborhoods in stages.

Stronger infrastructure, better tree-trimming programs near power lines, and more robust local response plans can all help reduce the harm caused by future severe weather.

NIPSCO said, "At peak, more than 60% of NIPSCO's electric customers were without power, making this one of the largest outage events in company history."

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.