Storm leaves damage in Nereta unlike anything even elderly residents recall

A reader named Valts shared photographs with LA.LV showing the aftermath of a powerful storm in Nereta on the morning of August 23, including broken trees and widespread damage across the area. According to him, even local residents older than 70 said they had never witnessed destruction of this scale from a natural event.

The eyewitness said electricity in Nereta went out on the evening of August 22 around 7 p.m. and was only restored the following day, sometime between 2 and 5 p.m. Throughout that period, residents had no access to internet or mobile communications, leaving the settlement completely cut off from the outside world.

Storm affected the whole of Latvia

The powerful storm hit Latvia on the evening of August 22 and into the following night, and meteorologists describe it as the strongest summer storm the country has seen in recent decades, with wind gusts in some areas exceeding 30 meters per second. The storm caused extensive damage to both distribution and transmission power networks, initially leaving around 277,000 customers across the country without electricity.

The power outages were accompanied by communication disruptions, and in some areas fuel stations and shops were also unable to operate. Although repair work has been ongoing continuously, as of Tuesday morning around 31,000 customers still remained without power. The hardest-hit areas include Ogre municipality, as well as Aizkraukle, Preiļi, Rēzekne, Jēkabpils and Bauska municipalities.

The State Fire and Rescue Service continues to receive calls related to storm damage — by Tuesday morning, the emergency number 112 had received a total of 3,347 reports linked to the strong winds.