Cyclone Priska kills two, cuts power to 550,000 homes across Baltics
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
Cyclone Priska swept across Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, and Belarus on August 22–23, killing at least two people and injuring 14 in Latvia. The storm brought winds above 30 m/s and heavy rain, downing trees and flooding streets. Power outages affected more than 550,000 households across the region.
Key Facts
- At least two people died in the storm: one in Lithuania's Anykščiai district after a tree fell on him, and one in Jelgava, Latvia, trapped under a collapsed building.
- In Latvia, 14 people sought medical help, some with serious injuries, mostly from falling trees or branches.
- More than 250,000 households lost power in Latvia, over 150,000 in Lithuania, and about 3,500 in Estonia on Saturday evening, dropping to 2,600 by Sunday morning.
- In Poland, over 145,000 households lost electricity, and in Belarus, more than 650 residential areas reported outages.
- Riga Airport warned of possible flight delays and advised passengers to monitor updates.
Casualties and Injuries
The storm killed at least two people across the Baltic region. In Lithuania's Anykščiai district, a man died after a tree fell on him. In Jelgava, Latvia, another person was trapped under the rubble of a collapsed building and died. In Latvia, 14 people sought medical assistance, some with serious injuries. Most injuries were caused by falling trees or branches, and some people were trapped inside cars on which trees had fallen.
Power Outages and Infrastructure
The storm caused widespread power outages due to fallen trees cutting electricity lines. In Latvia, more than 250,000 households were without electricity. In Lithuania, over 150,000 households lost power. In Estonia, about 3,500 households were without electricity on Saturday evening, but the number dropped to 2,600 by Sunday morning. In Poland, over 145,000 households lost power, and in Belarus, more than 650 residential areas reported outages.
Flooding and Transport Disruption
Streets were flooded in cities across Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. In Estonia, 50–70 mm of rain fell in one day, with some areas receiving up to 90 mm. The Daugava River in Riga rose, making bus traffic difficult, and emergency services used pumps to remove water from roads. Basements and ground floors of many buildings were flooded. Riga Airport warned of possible flight delays and advised passengers to monitor updates.
1 source
Cyclone Priska kills two, cuts power to 550,000 homes across Baltics
