Latvia plans resilience points after storm

Latvia’s municipalities are to establish resilience points for crisis situations after a severe storm, LSM reported. The points would provide residents with important information, drinking water and communications during power outages.

The decision was made on Monday at a Cabinet crisis-management meeting attended by responsible ministries, emergency services and institutions overseeing energy infrastructure. The government said comprehensive regulations would need to be developed for the points.

The Crisis Management Centre has until September 15 to prepare proposals for improving the response to similar crises. It will compile recommendations from the ministries, draw its own conclusions and submit proposals to the government. Changes to legislation may also be needed.

Acting Prime Minister and Finance Minister Māris Kučinskis said the storm should be used as a lesson for future improvements. He said every organisation involved must assess what worked and what did not, and submit proposals to improve the system as a whole.

Kučinskis rated the responsible institutions’ response to the storm’s aftermath six out of 10. He said several things had improved since the storm of 2005, but further improvements were still necessary.

On Monday morning, 75,000 customers were still without electricity because of the storm.