CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- As thousands are still left in the dark following this round of summer storms, many are left in downright dangerous conditions - and don't feel they're getting the help they need.

One of those people is Cathy Ellison, who lives in the Garden Heights development in Kanawha County.

She says her community has become a veritable danger zone since the first storm hit last Friday - and that her repeated pleas for help have been ignored.

"We see AEP and out-of-state utility trucks sitting by the side of the road for hours, but nobody's bothered to come up here," she said.

Downed power lines and fallen tree branches litter the roadside through the development and have been unfixed for more than a week.

Ellison says they were strewn across the road at first - until she and her neighbors put their lives in danger and moved them away on their own. She says they wouldn't have done so if their requests for help were answered.

"My son was one of them who picked up a power line," she said. "And I thought, this may be the last time I see my son. No mother should ever have to worry about that."

Cathy has one generator that keeps her fridge running - which she uses to store food for herself and neighbors. She also offered to store medication for neighbors who couldn't keep it cold themselves without power.

But she doesn't know how long she can keep it up.

"It takes about $40 a day to keep this generator running," she said. "I'm not sure how long I can afford that."

So this time, she's hoping someone will come to the community's rescue.

"Please AEP, get us some power," she said. "At least come up here and get these lines off of the ground so we don't have to worry about our kids being killed."