Thousands in Lithuania without power after storm; emergency declared in one district

Central Lithuania is grappling with widespread power outages affecting thousands of residents, disrupted communication networks, and strained emergency services in the wake of a severe storm. In Anykščiai district, Mayor Kęstutis Tubis reported that 9,755 consumers were without electricity on Monday, down from 10,870 the previous evening. The outages have crippled water supply and sewage treatment plants, raising the possibility of an extreme situation being declared.

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The situation is bad.

Communication difficulties hampered the municipality's ability to contact local elders and staff. Compounding the crisis, some gas stations were inoperable on Sunday, forcing firefighters dealing with storm aftermath to borrow fuel from farmers. The municipality has arranged for a generator to support one gas station. Mayor Tubis also voiced criticism of the energy company ESO's readiness, arguing that it previously had more staff, transport, and regional branches, and now relies more heavily on contractors.

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If all three phases are missing, the motors and pumps do not work and we cannot start the water supply.

In the Šakiai district, Mayor Raimondas Januševičius stated that 5,835 clients were without power due to 126 reported disruptions. Water supply is also impacted, with the municipality deploying generators and delivering drinking water. Kazlų Rūda municipality has already declared an emergency situation, with approximately 1,200 consumers still without power. In Jonava district, over 8,000 consumers were affected by about 111 faults, with water supply being a major concern. The municipality is organizing generator supplies to water providers to ensure drinking water for rural areas.

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There must be more teams, there must be more engineering services, electrical engineers, who can eliminate the consequences in such a situation.