After Storm, Rescuers in Ogre District Had to Clear Roads of Fallen Trees

A thunderstorm forecast for central and eastern Latvia on Friday evening and into Saturday delivered locally very heavy rain, strong wind gusts, and hail in places. The storm also caused damage, and rescue workers had to respond in several districts to clear roads blocked by broken trees.

Ogre District was among the areas where calls were received. In addition to Ogre, rescue teams worked in the districts of Cēsis, Valmiera, Saulkrasti, Sigulda, Bauska, and Limbaži, as well as in Riga. In most cases, trees had fallen or snapped under the wind and were obstructing traffic. Roads in Ogre District were also cleared.

The most serious situation was in Krimulda Parish in Sigulda District, where as many as ten broken trees were lying on the road. In this and other cases, rescuers cut the trees on site and removed them from the driving lanes, restoring traffic. All reported trees blocking roads were dealt with.

Beforehand, a thunderstorm had been expected, and what happened showed that locally the weather phenomena were very intense. Although the full extent of the damage is not detailed, the ten trees in Krimulda indicate that in some places the storm was extremely strong.