Kazlų Rūda recovers after storm leaves residents without power

Life is slowly returning to normal in Kazlų Rūda after a devastating storm left thousands of residents without electricity, LRT.lt reported. The emergency situation in the city and surrounding areas was lifted on Thursday, nearly two weeks after the storm struck on August 22.

When LRT.lt reporters visited the area on Friday, Kazlų Rūda was preparing for a celebration and appeared orderly. However, storm damage was still visible in the surrounding forests, where many trees remained on the ground.

Some residents on the outskirts of the city had lost electricity, but their supply was restored within several days. Several nearby villages were without power for much longer. According to data provided to the municipality by the Electricity Distribution Operator, 15 individual customers were still without electricity on Friday morning.

Residents of some areas spent a week and a half without power. Some worried that medicines, mushrooms and berries had spoiled in non-functioning refrigerators. Others said the most difficult part was being without internet access, particularly YouTube videos.

In Bagotoji village, some residents also went without water, while telephone and internet connections were disrupted during the first few days. Karolina, a local student, said her family used a generator they already owned, but had to carry buckets of water from a pond and pour it into the toilet tank.

She prepared for her studies on a second-floor balcony, where she could occasionally obtain a weak internet connection. Tomas, whom reporters met near the village shop, said that living without electricity or water was not as difficult as living without internet access and YouTube videos.

The local outpatient clinic faced particular chaos during the first two days after the storm. Doctor Rasuolė Klusevičienė said the clinic had no electricity or internet, making it impossible to issue electronic referrals or prescriptions. Staff issued paper referrals, but specialists initially refused to accept them.

According to Klusevičienė, the situation improved after LRT Television visited the village and reported on the problems on its Panorama programme. The clinic was then provided with a powerful generator and resumed normal operations.

Some patients also had to discard medicines such as insulin because they had spoiled after the power outage. Vaccines kept at the clinic also required refrigeration, but staff moved them to a location where electricity was still available.

Clinic workers said they had been completely unprepared for such a storm and questioned how they would cope with even more extreme events.

Kazlų Rūda Mayor Mantas Varaška told LRT.lt that life in the area was gradually returning to normal.