DTE Community Relations distributed water, flashlights, and chargers to Freedom Township residents at the Freedom Township Hall on Wednesday and the township provided a location for residents without heating backup to warm up in the stormy, rainy weather.

A power outage of undetermined origin kept homes and businesses in the Freedom, Scio, Lodi, Lima and Bridgewater Township areas without electricity for most of the day last Wednesday. Crews were on the scene resolving a “suspected equipment issue” and worked as quickly and safely as possible to restore the service.

DTE Energy crews brought a courtesy van to the Freedom Township Hall on Wednesday afternoon from 1-5 pm and the township also provided a “warming center” at the hall since temperatures were were in the 40s and wind chills were dipping even lower with storms and heavy rain. Emergency kits, including a flashlight and charger, were also provided by DTE.

Approximately 1,300 residents were estimated to be affected by the outage. Power was restored by 8 pm on Wednesday evening, according to a source from DTE. At least 15-20 DTE trucks and many private vehicles were noted at the corner of Pleasant Lake and Parker Roads on Wednesday morning, working at the electrical station located nearby.