Storm leaves Jekabpils without power, water and communications

Jekabpils residents spent almost a day without electricity, internet or mobile communications after a storm, LSM reported. Electricity has been restored in the city, but residents in rural parishes of Jekabpils Municipality remain without power.

The power outage began on Saturday evening, leaving almost the entire city in darkness. As it continued into Sunday, centralised water supply was restricted because the city’s sewage system was not operating.

Jekabpils Water had prepared a procedure for connecting a generator to pump water at a station, but the generator stopped at the first station, board member Ainars Vasilis said.

While the utility searched for additional generators, many residents collected drinking water from a nearby spring. Shops also operated with restrictions, as only some stores were able to work using generators. Water and food supplies were quickly limited, and products that did not require cooking sold out.

“We have an electric stove, so we have to buy ready-made food,” resident Artis said. Another resident, Karina, said people could not prepare hot food or even boil water because their stoves and kettles depended on electricity.

The municipality provided drinking water at two locations in the city and set up a place where residents could charge their mobile devices. Lana, who was visiting her mother from England, said her husband had been worried because he could not contact them.

Resident Ivita described the situation as resembling an apocalypse, saying it felt like earlier times when people had no phones. Residents could not communicate because there was no internet.

Jekabpils Hospital had a generator, but the lights went out during an operation. Only one petrol station in the city was operating.