Storm damage leaves Jēkabpils without water and sewage services
A powerful storm has knocked out electricity in Jēkabpils, disabling the sewage system and forcing authorities to cut off water supply. Mobile support points offer charging, restrooms and drinking water to residents.
Jēkabpils municipal council chairman Raivis Ragainis said on Sunday that a power outage caused by the storm has disrupted the town's sewage system, prompting authorities to deliberately shut off water supply as well to prevent further complications when restoring these services.
Electricity went out around 9 p.m. and remains unavailable across nearly the entire town and most of the surrounding municipality. Emergency services are continuing their work using generators.
Situation on the ground
Ragainis urged residents to stay calm and remain at home while winds are still subsiding, warning that hazards such as broken branches caught in trees and power lines remain. Road travel within the town and municipality is currently possible, as fallen trees have been cleared from main roads.
Shops and fuel stations across the municipality are also closed. Near the Jēkabpils border, only one of three fuel stations remains operational, with a queue of several dozen vehicles and police directing traffic there.
Support for residents
Mobile support points have been set up at the Jēkabpils People's House and the Krustpils Culture Centre, offering device charging, restroom access and drinking water. Until centralized water supply is restored, residents can also collect drinking water from public taps in the town.
The storm that struck Latvia on Saturday evening and into Sunday night left more than a quarter-million households across the country without electricity.
