WEST BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — On Wednesday evening, just over 18,000 DTE Energy customers were without power nearly a full week after a devastating ice storm passed through Southeast Michigan.
The company says they’ve been working around the clock, bringing in 1,000 out-of-state crews to help handle the workload. While many remain without power, tens of thousands did get their power back on Tuesday.
“We just heard a big thump and boom, lights went out,” Terence Claxton of West Bloomfield said.
That sound he heard was on Wednesday in the midst of an ice storm. Six days later, the power in the Claxton home was still out.
"What has it been like in the days since? What have you been doing to stay warm, to get by," 7 Action News reporter Brett Kast asked.
"In the car, staying in the car and camping out in the car," Claxton replied.
On top of gas money, the couple has spent hundreds on hotel stays traveling one night to East Lansing to find an open room. Most of their time has been spent in their driveway waiting.
“I leave for work, they're out in the car waiting for DTE to come," neighbor Aaron Fogarasi said. "I check my Ring camera throughout the day, they’re sitting in the car waiting for DTE to come, and I come home from work they’re sitting in the car.”
Moments after talking to the Claxtons, 7 Action News found a DTE truck parked in a parking lot near their house. We told the technician about their situation and the employee went on his own to check it out. The technician was able to restore their power quickly, and the Claxtons now join tens of thousands of others who got their power back.
In Warren, Peggy and Wilson James rejoiced as an out-of-state crew from Indiana finally came to the rescue. They’ve been eating out and running a generator for nearly a week after the storm.
“This was just horrible," Peggy James said. "We didn’t know what to do with the power lines just sitting in your yard for (nearly) seven days.”
Their home was the only one in the neighborhood without power as the tree hovering over their backyard took out the line connecting to their home. Now over 140 hours later, they rejoin their neighbors back on the grid.
“My neighbor just called and said, 'Your porch light just came on. That was the happiest... I could sing,'" Peggy said as she broke out in song. "I got some power!"
