Storm leaves Grenctāle without power for nearly two days

Nearly 9,000 residents remain without electricity in Bauska municipality after a weekend storm, with some also without water, LSM reported. The electricity supply in Grenctāle village has been cut off since Saturday evening, and the electricity distribution company Sadales tīkls has not said when the damage will be repaired.

Grenctāle, a village a few kilometres from the Lithuanian border, has been without power for almost two days. Residents Anita and Evita said they had water, but were facing problems because food was spoiling and they could not use electrical appliances.

Water was delivered from Bauska, and a generator was connected to ensure the supply. The residents said they had stocked up on food but were now eating it quickly because they had no electricity.

At a meeting of the Bauska municipality Civil Protection Commission, officials discussed the impact of the storm on residents. Around 9,000 people in the municipality were still without electricity, while some also lacked water.

Arvis Zīle, head of the Crisis Management Centre, told Latvian Radio that residents could have been better prepared for the storm by obtaining generators and portable battery-powered radios.

However, the Grenctāle residents disagreed, saying that generators were expensive and that not everyone could afford one. They also criticised the lack of information about when electricity would be restored and said they had never experienced such a long power outage.