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People struggle to keep homes warm amid power outages

Families find ways to stay warm without power
Families find ways to stay warm without power 02:09

(CBS DETROIT) - As temperatures reached dangerously cold lows Sunday, many people are still without power.

For Robert Alder one of the most precious things to him right now is his power generator. It's been a lifesaver since he and his family lost power, he said.

"The power has been off since Friday," Alder said. "Very scary, especially if you don't have a generator. It's very dangerous."

He said since Friday, his neighborhood has been like a ghost town. "A lot of people left," he said. 

As crews worked to restore power, people who had stuck around in the Livonia community were hyper-focused on staying warm.

Generators during winter storm
AJ Walker

"The reality is I'm just trying to take care of the family and make sure everyone's got some food and some heat," Zachary Latour said.

Matthew Cook said he and his family had to endure one night without power or a generator until someone stepped up and let them use this one.

"My mom's friend actually brought it on over and hooked it up for us. So that was really nice of her because, without her, we would be without power in this zero-degree weather almost," Cook said. 

Cook said he fears for people who don't have a way to keep warm in their homes.

"It's really cold out here in these frigid temperatures," he said. "It's not safe."

DTE says 95% of customers should have their power restored by the end of the day on Sunday and the rest by Monday. 

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