Thousands still without power in Latvia four days after severe storm

Approximately 6,800 customers in Latvia are still experiencing power outages four days after a severe summer storm swept across the country, causing extensive damage to the electrical grid. The most significant disruptions are currently reported in the Aizkraukle, Jēkabpils, and Bauska municipalities.

The storm, which struck on Saturday, August 22nd, and continued into the following night, has been described as the most powerful summer storm in decades. Wind speeds in some areas surpassed 30 meters per second, leading to widespread damage to both the distribution and transmission power networks. Initially, around 277,000 customers lost electricity, impacting not only power supply but also communications, fuel stations, and some stores.

As of Thursday morning, "Sadales tīkls" (the distribution network operator) reported that power has been restored to approximately 98.5% of the initially affected customers, with 1,774 storm-related damages to the distribution network repaired. However, more than 200 "Sadales tīkls" brigades are continuing their work to fix the remaining issues, receiving support from specialists from Estonia's "Elektrilevi," the State Fire and Rescue Service, and "Latvijas Valsts meži" (Latvian State Forests).

The company noted that sometimes, after mid-voltage network repairs, customers might receive notification of power restoration while electricity has not yet returned. This indicates a fault in the low-voltage network supplying individual homes, and in such cases, a new service request is required. Repeated power outages can also occur if fallen trees or branches continue to affect power lines. "Sadales tīkls" urges customers to report any new issues to ensure swift resolution.