'Very hot, no air, no nothing'; Southfield senior living complex loses power amid unbearable heat

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. - Michigan's unbearable summer continued to get worse for some this weekend after a power outage at a senior living complex in Metro Detroit on one of the hottest days of the year.

A power outage at the Solaire apartments in Southfield spelled bad news for the senior citizens that called it home. Beyond the irritation of not having power is the public safety concern.

That's because while local temperatures reached 90 degrees on Saturday, the heat index likely factored into triple-digit readouts on the thermometer - dangerous conditions for those unprepared to bear the heat. 

"Very hot, no air, no nothing," said Sharon Harvey, who lives at the complex.

"I just walked a lady on my floor down who is on a walker," said Charles, another resident who lost power. "It’s just not right."

DTE can't definitively say whether the outage was due to severe weather earlier this month - when more than a million people lost power across Michigan, according to some estimates.

But even without a reason, the mere presence of another power outage left many who live at the complex frustrated and desperate for answers, telling FOX 2 that management at the complex isn't doing enough.

"They have some people walking the floors today asking if you want to get on a bus go some place," said Charles.

That some place was a cooling center in Southfield.

"There are people who have respirators - actual medical machines that need power," said Dell Milledge, whose grandfather lives at the complex. "For a building like this and for the amount of residents, the caliber of people (who are) older age, they need extra measures.

"At least get some type of support system for the stairs in case something like this happens again."

Both heat and flooding have become staples of Michigan's unbearable summer - although the region has managed to avoid some of the extreme temperatures that other parts of the U.S. have seen. It has, however, not been able to avoid the traffic delays and basement damage that accompany flooding. 

Shortly before 8 p.m. Saturday, the power turned back on at the complex.