Detroit neighborhood without power amid dangerous heat wave

A neighborhood on Detroit's northwest side suddenly plunged into darkness Tuesday night due to a power outage.

Nearly 8,000 households were affected.

During the overnight hours, DTE says it restored power to about 30% of those customers, but thousands of others are still waiting.

"It's hot, and it's miserable without having any power," said homeowner Janice Sheard. "I can't even get my door open to get out, get my car out to go anywhere. Yeah, I'm stuck."

According to DTE, two cables failed at a substation in the neighborhood.

"We were watching TV all together, and the power went out. I knew it was out dead because the whole house went black," said homeowner Frederick Bailey. "We slept in the car last night, man, and that's crazy."

DTE is repairing the damaged underground lines and installing utility sized generators, the size of the back end of a semi-truck, to restore power.

"These underground cable failures are exceptionally complex. To find the problem and then go and fix it, that's why we've deployed both parallel paths to get everyone back. It can be quite a complex and laborious undertaking," Jerry Tullio, director of regional customer operations for DTE, said. "These generators are not like the generators at your home. They're sized to handle the entire grid, and when power comes back on, they can expect power as normal."

Homeowners are worried they may have to throw away hundreds of dollars' worth of food.

"I just went to the grocery store yesterday, so I hope they get it back on, so my food don't go bad," said homeowner Anthony Wallace.

Meanwhile, neighbors are helping each other out, sharing power from generators to keep their refrigerators cool.

"I just asked my neighbors, like, 'Hey, y'all want to put y'all cord over here. Y'all want to do something because the food going to go bad. I thank God for my friends and family for doing the help that keeping us going," Latisha Mitchell said.

DTE says it hopes to have power restored by the end of Wednesday.

DTE ambassadors are handing out ice and water at Crowell Recreation Center and Adams Butzel Complex until 6 p.m.

Wayne County Community College District spokesperson Michelle Martinez Bassett sent CBS News Detroit the following statement:

"The safety and security of our students, faculty and staff is our highest priority in every decision we make. The area power outage and the high temperatures did result in a temporary closure of WCCCD's Northwest Campus today, however WCCCD's summer session continues without interruption.

"The District is working closely with local officials and utility partners to monitor the situation. At this time, we do not anticipate broader disruptions to our summer academic schedule and remain committed to ensuring our students can continue their education with as little interruption as possible."