Currently there is no need to declare a state of the emergency in Jekabpils over the situation with the flood, said Latvia’s Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš after a meeting of the Crisis Management Council on Sunday, the 15th of January.
During the meeting it was concluded that Latvia’s laws and procedures for these situations are very well-developed to ensure coordination of all emergency services. This is why there is no need to declare a state of emergency and have the government step in directly, said the PM, adding that there is a regional catastrophe currently going on in Jekabpils.
The law states that all municipalities are to compose civil protection committees.
«The government is prepared to declare a state of emergency if the municipality’s civil protection committee concludes it is necessary.
Currently the only reason to do this would be to evacuate residents, but there is no reason for that at the moment.
The government would be prepared to make this decision very quickly if need be,» said Kariņš.
According to him, the situation in Jekabpils is serious, but it cannot be resolved using the local hydroelectric dam. Forecasts do not indicate the weather could improve soon. This means this situation may remain for some time. «Jekabpils Mayor Raivis Ragainis has the situation under control. The protective dam is being reinforced as we speak. Other municipalities provide assistance as well,» said the PM.
He stressed that residents must follow recommendations from local institutions very carefully, especially when it comes to evacuation. The decision about the possible evaluation is to be made by the municipal administration, and it is very important for residents to follow recommendations.
«The situation is critical, serious, but the good news is that our laws, procedures and services are organised and able to handle the situation. All services monitor the situation constantly. If something needs changing, it will be done in a moment,» said the PM. He praised the efforts put by Ragainis in battling the flood, stressing that the mayor does an excellent job. «All residents of Jekabpils should be proud of having a leader capable of adequately reacting to emergencies,» said the prime minister.
At the same time, Kariņš affirmed that
the government will provide financial assistance to the municipality and its residents.
He said it is too soon to comment on the possible extent of damages caused by the flood. Authorities will commence calculations once the water level has stabilised.
«We will look how much support each ministry can provide. The government will decide on paying financial aid to the municipality and residents,» Kariņš promised.
As previously reported, the water level in Daugava River near Jekabpils has risen a lot lately, causing intense flooding of nearby territories. The State Fire and Rescue Service has rescued 34 people from flooded areas so far. Meteorologists report that at 21:50 p.m. the water level in Daugava River reached 8.81 m above the zero point on Saturday, the 14th of December.