Latvia weighs record compensation and EU aid after storm

Latvia was hit by its strongest summer storm since at least 1966 on the night of August 23, leaving widespread damage, disruptions to electricity and communications, and one person dead, LSM reported. On the second day after the storm, tens of thousands of households remained without power as local authorities and emergency services worked to clear the damage.

The storm also affected Latvia’s neighbouring countries, Lithuania and Estonia. Electricity supplies were disrupted for about 277,000 households on Sunday morning, while thousands of households remained without power the following day.

Several cities were nearly cut off from the outside world, with food shops and petrol stations closed in many places. Mobile communications were disrupted, and train services were also affected.

The cost of the damage has not yet been assessed, but it could reach a record level, said Edgars Tavars, Latvia’s minister for smart administration and regional development. He did not rule out asking the European Union for assistance.

Cleanup operations in Riga could take more than a month, while river floodplains and low-lying areas could be flooded.

The Civil Aviation Agency warned that drones would also be used to assess the storm damage, leading to increased drone activity in Latvia.

Authorities are also considering lessons from the storm, including the possible creation of resilience points in municipalities for use during future crises.