Military personnel are arriving to assess flood conditions in Lithuania's Šilutė region, where over 40 properties are inundated, and communication with residents is limited to boats.
In the Šilutė municipality of Lithuania, the Emergency Situations Operations Center is scheduled to meet Tuesday afternoon to consider declaring a state of emergency in several areas, including Juknaičiai, Rusnė, Kintai, and Useiniai. The head of the Šilutės district administration, Andrius Jurkus, reported that the water levels in rivers are gradually decreasing, but more than 40 properties remain flooded, and contacting residents is currently only possible by boat.
The situation is further exacerbated by ice jams near the Curonian Lagoon, which poses significant risks for the region. Soldiers are set to arrive to investigate the area and gather data that will inform potential further actions regarding the ice, with one option being blasting, similar to methods used over a decade ago. The Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service has indicated that critical water levels have been reached at various monitoring points, including Kūlynai, Plaškiai, and Rusnė, prompting the National Crisis Management Center to activate the second phase of flood risk assessment.
As the situation develops, the authorities are taking steps to ensure the safety of residents and mitigate the effects of the flood. The collaboration between military and emergency services highlights the seriousness of the flooding and the need for coordinated action to address the challenges posed by rising waters and ice in the affected areas.
