Riga opens storm debris collection point as city urges remote work
Sunday 23rd August 2026 on 15:45 in
Latvia
Riga residents will be able to bring trees, branches and leaves brought down by the storm to a collection point from 6 a.m. on Monday, August 24, LSM reports. The city plans to open additional collection points soon and is urging residents to work from home where possible.
“Many trees are unstable because of the wet soil, and the danger in the city remains,” Riga Deputy Mayor Edvards Ratnieks said. He also urged residents to avoid areas with many trees and to refrain from using swimming areas for now, as pollution may have entered the water because of the heavy rainfall.
The initial collection point will be at 16a Uzvaras Boulevard. The municipality said that 56 schools and kindergartens, numerous public transport overhead networks and heavily wooded areas had been affected by Storm Priska, described as the strongest summer storm in the history of observations. More than 200 trees were uprooted or broken in the capital’s cemeteries alone.
Funeral ceremonies will be able to resume from Tuesday. Until then, responsible services will work to reduce the danger where possible.
The Riga municipality is asking residents who do not provide critically important public services to stay home and work remotely on Monday where possible. Those who must travel should expect journeys to take longer than usual.
Because the city has many broken trees and branches, residents are advised to avoid going outside unless necessary, particularly in parks, cemeteries, recreation areas and children’s playgrounds. The municipality said this would help protect residents and relatives and avoid obstructing emergency services working to clear the storm damage.
Residents should call 112 if damage poses a threat to people’s health or lives, communications or public transport. If a fallen tree is not dangerous, it can be reported to Riga’s round-the-clock municipal helpline at 1201 or by email at [email protected].
The storm hit Latvia overnight on August 23 and was the strongest summer storm recorded since at least 1966, when comprehensive observations of wind gusts in Latvia began.