Families without power struggle after 1 week in cold

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One week after high winds caused havoc across southeast Michigan, some are still suffering with power outages.

The problem, officials say, is that complicated repairs that require a lot of man hours to address.

FOX 2: "I see you're wearing your coat in the house."

"Yes. It's a bit chilly in here," said Daryl Brann.

With their dog bundled up and a few appliances plugged in just enough to get by for this Clawson family a week without power.

"It's been a real stress test," he said. "And frustrating, yes."

After what DTE Energy calls the worst outage in the company's history, the Branns are definitely thankful to have a generator.

"I actually got some sleep last night," Brann said. "I'm getting used to the hum of the generator."

While the outage may have been caused by a tree knocked down in that wind storm last week, Daryl Brann says he was told his power would be back on Sunday night.

"Evidently one of their inspectors went through Sunday night and gave us the all clear," he said. "We lost our place in line for service."

But with these smart meters Brann and several other neighbors ask, how does it happen.

Brann said he and his neighbors call DTE again and again.

"And we were distraught to hear we were no longer showing up on their system in need of repairs - still," he said.

Brann's wife reached out to FOX 2 for help Wednesday. As DTE tells us something else has gone wrong in the area and they have crews working to resolve the issue now.

DTE said it's been especially difficult going from 800,000 workers to less than 2,000 calling those still without power the most complicated cases adding that they understand the frustration.

Brann says, he does too.

"It's brutal out there, so I can feel for the guys who are executing the work," he said.

And while certainly feeling for those who are stuck without generators.

"It would be nice to have family you can cuddle up with," he said.

Brann knows there's nothing he can really do but continue to wait.

"Until they can get out here, we're making it."