Latvian Armed Forces commander: destructive storm exposed same problems known 20 years ago
Following the recent storm, Lieutenant General Kaspars Pudāns, commander of Latvia's National Armed Forces, says the same weaknesses identified after the January 2005 storm have resurfaced. He is calling for greater focus on securing critical services and improving public preparedness.
Kaspars Pudāns, Lieutenant General and commander of Latvia's National Armed Forces (NBS), said on the "Kāpēc" program that while emergency services and critical infrastructure companies largely managed to deal with the aftermath of last weekend's storm, the event again exposed problems first identified more than 20 years ago, after the destructive storm of January 2005.
Vulnerability of critical services
Pudāns said his greatest disappointment and concern is that the same issues keep recurring over such a long period despite past experience. He believes far more attention needs to be paid to ensuring critical services can keep functioning even during extreme weather.
Need for alternative communication solutions
One of the key conclusions is the need to develop alternative communication solutions for situations when regular infrastructure is damaged or disrupted, so that people can stay in contact even if the main communication channels fail.
The public's role during crises
The commander also stressed the responsibility of residents themselves, saying that during crises people must be prepared to look after themselves for a certain period without expecting immediate help from emergency services. He added that in the future, other overlapping crises could delay or complicate infrastructure restoration work, meaning overall preparedness needs to be broader than it has been so far.
