Residents and authorities fell short in preparing for storm, crisis chief says

Some residents could have done more to prepare for the storm’s consequences, while state and municipal authorities also have lessons to learn, Crisis Management Centre head Arvis Zīle told Latvian Radio on Monday, LSM.lv reported.

Zīle recalls 72-hour plan

Zīle said households should be prepared to cope for at least 72 hours without outside assistance. He questioned whether people had generators and basic supplies ready for such a situation.

In areas where power cuts disrupted telephone and internet services, he pointed to the need for a battery-powered radio to receive information when the internet is unavailable. He said every household should have one.

Zīle also said drinking water had sold out in several shops after the power outages, even though residents had been warned about the storm in advance and could have prepared water supplies earlier.

“Somehow, we never take it personally,” Zīle said of storm warnings and the public response to them.

Municipalities also have lessons to learn

Although municipalities actively worked to reduce the storm’s effects, their approaches to informing residents during emergencies varied. Zīle acknowledged that some municipalities had not posted information about the storm on their websites.

He said municipal readiness for crises and natural disasters would also receive attention during the Namejs state defence exercises. The storm, however, arrived earlier and provided a practical test.

One lesson from the widespread storm damage was that fuel supplies should be autonomous for at least 72 hours, Zīle said.