Kurmene village left without power for three days after storm, residents help each other

In the village of Kurmene, part of Bauska municipality near the Lithuanian border, residents have been living without electricity and mobile phone coverage for more than three days following a severe storm. Water supply was restored on Tuesday morning, but other everyday comforts remain unavailable. A visiting news crew found broken trees still lying along the roadside, with locals gradually sawing and clearing the debris.

Neighbors helping neighbors

A local resident named Juris said Kurmene has never before experienced such destructive storm damage, but villagers quickly organized themselves to clear the main roads. One neighbor brought a generator to his house and connected it to several apartments so people could at least cook food. According to Juris, the generator's owner is also willing to help others who need it, moving between locations to assist.

Losses and daily hardship

The local shop has reopened, though it operates in darkness, using a generator to run only two freezers and a refrigerator, with payment accepted only in cash. Anna, a resident visiting relatives in Kurmene, was in the village when the storm hit and later discovered her family's ostrich enclosure had been completely destroyed — the birds now share a barn with chickens. Her main concern is preventing food in the refrigerator, including meat and berries, from spoiling, a task made somewhat easier by a gas stove.

Residents still face a large cleanup effort to deal with the storm's damage across the area, but what they are waiting for most is the return of electricity — according to current forecasts, power may not be restored in Kurmene until Friday.