Northern Indiana Public Service Company crews have been working throughout the night to respond to more than 20,000 total electric customers system-wide who lost electricity during strong storms that caused severe damage including broken trees and snapped power lines. Harder-hit areas in the Region include Chesterton with about 2300,  Hobart/Lake Station area with about 1600 outages total, 1300 in LaPorte, about 1000 in Gary, 900 in Highland, and hundreds in Portage, Valparaiso, Union Mills and Westville.

* About 1900 outages in Merrillville and about another 1900 in Valparaiso from midday reports

As of 12 noon today, we're told some residents on the far west side of Lake Station in the area of 35th Place and Liverpool Road have been without power since about 10:30 Wednesday night.