AS “Latvijas valsts meži” (LVM) is continuing to survey the forest areas affected by the powerful storm at the end of July. The greatest damage to forest stands has occurred in LVM-managed forests in central Latvia. Data compiled a week after the storm indicate that in six LVM forest districts in the Zemgale region the storm broke and felled around 70,000 cubic metres of trees, mainly affecting Dobele, Jelgava, Olaine and Tukums municipalities.

LVM specialists are still working actively both on site in the forest and using remote sensing data and unmanned aerial vehicles to determine the precise extent of the damage. The volume is expected to rise, but most probably will not exceed 100,000 cubic metres.

To limit the spread of forest pests and to prevent the timber from losing its value, trees felled and broken by the storm must be removed from the forests as quickly as possible. For this reason, priority is currently being given to clearing roads, including forest roads and carriageways, so that the areas can be accessed, the extent of the damage established and sanitary felling sites prepared for logging.

In Zemgale, the storm felled and broke birches most of all – half of the total volume of felled trees – while roughly a third were pines (30%), and the smallest shares were spruce (10%) and aspen (10%). Particularly severe damage (around 4000 cubic metres) was recorded in the “Latvijas valsts meži” nature park in Tērvete.

The heavy rainfall that accompanied the storm has also affected forest roads. Several forest roads in the LVM Zemgale region were washed out; three roads were severed completely, and two of them have already been repaired. With water levels rising in the Svēte, several nearby roads are still flooded.

“Once we have cleared all the forest roads of fallen trees, we will probably discover further damage. There is a strong likelihood that the forest roads still under construction at the time of the rainfall will have been damaged. Although we have recorded damage, we assess it as proportionate to the extreme weather conditions,” explains Artūrs Markots, Head of the Forest Infrastructure Construction Process at LVM.
https://www.lvm.lv/jaunumi/7563-valsts-mezos-vetra-lauzusi-un-gazusi-kokus-70-000-kubikmetru-apjoma