atvia declares state of emergency due to winter blizzards

The Baltic state of Latvia declared a state of
emergency in 40 municipalities Thursday as a result of heavy snowfall
causing severe disruption to transport and power supplies, dpa reported.
The decision was taken by Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis at an
extraordinary cabinet meeting. Despite its dramatic ring, the state
of emergency is mainly a legal formality that allows power utilities
and municipal authorities to bypass normal rules governing the
felling of trees on private land, allowing them to clear roads and
rebuild power lines more quickly.
Unusually high snowfall has caused a range of problems in Latvia,
despite the general preparedness of the population to deal with harsh
winters.
-- SPA