CHICAGO (WLS) — Recovery efforts continued Saturday across the Chicago area after multiple rounds of strong storms this week. More storms will be possible early Sunday as a busy weekend continues in Chicago.

Emergency officials have reported six deaths across Indiana from storms that started Tuesday. Three of them were in the Chicago area, in Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties, and the others were in other parts of the state.

The state was hit with historic rainfall. Several rivers burst their banks in Indiana, and more storms are in the forecast, including in the Chicago area on Sunday.

Indiana Governor Mike Braun declared a statewide disaster emergency Friday. On Saturday, he said he talked to President Donald Trump, who later approved his request for a Presidential Emergency Declaration.

Saturday evening, FEMA announced “federal disaster assistance is available to the state of Indiana to supplement state, tribal and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding beginning on August 11, 2026, and continuing.

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Meanwhile, NIPSCO had paused some of its storm restoration work in northwest Indiana after a crew’s vehicle was hit by gunfire on Friday night, officials said.

Gary Mayor Eddie Melton confirmed that gunfire hit a vehicle belonging to a NIPSCO utility crew who were working to restore power to residents. Melton said no one was injured, and police are investigating.

The company said it temporarily paused storm restoration activities involving crews in Gary after the “serious incident.” Work in the area resumed Saturday evening.

“Let me be clear: this type of violence is absolutely unacceptable and will not be tolerated in the City of Gary,” said Melton. “These crews are here for one reason-to help our residents and restore electricity to families who have already endured days without power.”

NIPSCO issued a statement, saying, “NIPSCO is aware of a serious incident overnight in Gary involving our crews supporting our ongoing storm restoration efforts. We are working closely with law enforcement and gathering additional information. The safety of our employees, contractors and the communities we serve remains our highest priority. We are grateful that no injuries have been reported. In response to this incident, storm restoration activities involving crews have been temporarily paused in the city of Gary while we work with law enforcement and evaluate appropriate security measures to ensure the safety of our responders. We thank our employees, contractors, mutual assistance crews and law enforcement partners for their continued dedication and support during this historic restoration effort. Restoration work continues across northern Indiana, and we will provide additional information as it becomes available. We appreciate the patience and understanding of Gary residents as we take steps to ensure restoration efforts can continue safely.”

Melton said the city is coordinating with NIPSCO, the Gary Police Department, the Indiana State Police, and state officials to ensure crews have the protection necessary to safely resume their restoration work. Indiana State Police is deploying additional troopers to help local departments.

Some Gary residents who have been without electricity since Tuesday say they are frustrated after learning that power restoration efforts were temporarily paused when a NIPSCO utility vehicle was struck by gunfire.

NIPSCO said restoration work has since resumed after being halted for a short time following the shooting. However, some residents said they still do not have power.

“It’s utterly disgusting, yes, for people to come out and shoot it up, but this should’ve been a priority,” resident Kenneth Lewis said.

Residents continue to express concerns about the pace of restoration efforts following severe storms that caused widespread outages across Northwest Indiana.

“We’re number one in terms of outages, but with the last in terms of service. that doesn’t make any sense. what the county is showing us is where we stand in terms of their priorities,” resident Steven Levy said.

According to Gary police, the incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. Saturday in the 200 block of Rutledge Street. Two NIPSCO employees told officers their vehicle was hit by gunfire while they were driving through the area surveying storm damage.

Police said the vehicle was struck twice, but neither worker was injured. Investigators are seeking evidence to determine whether the shooting was targeted or intentional.

“The vehicle that they were driving was not similar to what a utility truck would be. It was a small SUV like a passenger car so we’re trying to understand the dynamics of the case,” Gary Police Chief Derrick Cannon said.

Video posted on social media appears to show at least two bullet holes in the NIPSCO vehicle.

Gary police continue to investigate the shooting. Meanwhile, residents said they had been told power would be restored by Friday, but some now question whether the latest incident could further delay service restoration.

This week’s storms led to the cancellation of next weekend’s Gary Air Show. The organizers say the need for first responders to assist in the cleanup is more important than the show happening this year. They hope to be back next summer.

And over in Chicago, weather conditions delayed the city’s Air and Water Show on Saturday, and more storms could arrive Sunday.

A system that was forecast to bring heavy rain to Chicago on Saturday missed most of the area, ABC7 AccuWeather meteorologists said.

ABC7 meteorologists initially issued an AccuWeather Alert for Saturday, but that alert has been dropped, as the flooding threat has reduced in the Chicago area.

There was some rain downtown around 9:30 a.m., and more light to moderate rain continued in some areas throughout Saturday morning.

Saturday’s Chicago Air and Water Show was delayed until noon due to weather conditions, city officials said. The performances were initially set to begin at 10:30 a.m.

The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events said producers worked with the Federal Aviation Administration to assess flight conditions and ensure the safety of performing acts, attendees and event staff.

DCASE said the show is expected to continue through 5 p.m. to allow for the show’s full schedule.

Martinez expressed optimism about a noon start, saying there were still showers in the area, along with a low cloud deck, at 9:30 a.m.

Martinez said most of the afternoon is expected to be dry but added that an isolated downpour cannot be ruled out.

Saturday is expected to remain humid with highs in the low 80s. But ABC7 meteorologists are watching for a potential round of heavy rain late Saturday and into Sunday morning.

Possible storms could hit the Chicago area between 3 a.m. and 8 a.m. Sunday.

Once that morning rain moves out on Sunday, the rest of the day looks mostly dry with highs in the low 80s. Next week’s forecast offers limited rain chances, bringing some relief to areas hit hard by Tuesday’s storms.

Residents whose homes suffered storm damage Tuesday and Wednesday in Cook County are being asked to complete an online survey by Aug. 24.