Kulbergs: crisis information must be unified and constantly updated

Prime Minister Kulbergs has described the storm that hit Latvia over the weekend as a painful but instructive test of the country's crisis readiness. He noted that widespread power outages quickly caused other essential daily services to fail as well.

He stressed that handling a crisis requires a clear, pre-established plan rather than improvisation after the fact. During the storm, he said, no single, regularly updated overview of the situation was available — residents had to piece together information scattered across the websites and social media accounts of various institutions, companies and municipalities.

What information is needed

Kulbergs listed the questions such a resource should answer in one place: where power is out, where communications and internet are down, which roads are closed, where public transport and water or sewage services are disrupted, which shops, fuel stations and pharmacies remain open, and what concrete steps are being taken to restore services. He also called for a backup communication channel for situations where people have no electricity, internet or mobile connection.

Review requested

Once the acute phase of the crisis passes, the prime minister expects the Crisis Management Centre to deliver a comprehensive assessment of the state's response — what worked, what didn't, and what needs urgent improvement — concluding with a concrete action plan naming those responsible, deadlines and required investment.

At the same time, Kulbergs said responsibility does not rest with the state alone: every household should honestly assess whether it can manage at least 72 hours without electricity, internet, shops, ATMs or immediate emergency services, including having water, food, medication and other essentials on hand. He added that he is currently in Ukraine, where such challenges are faced daily and solutions already exist — solutions he pledged to bring to Latvia.