The Baltic countries are preparing to exit the BRELL energy ring with Russia and Belarus and the accession to the energy system of the European Union. Estonian authorities warn that the transition could go wrong. Rescue services urge citizens to be prepared for power outages.
8 February Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia will exit the energy ring with Russia and Belarus and synchronize with the EU energy system. In Estonia, it is believed that not everything can go according to plan and the transition may not be smooth.
"At best, nothing will happen. If problems arise, the next step will be to determine which consumers need to be turned off. The worst—case scenario is a 72—hour power outage," Prime Minister Kristen Michal said last week.
Today, the Rescue Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Estonia published links on Facebook* to information that residents of the country should know in case of power outages.
"We live in an era of crisis and we must be ready to face various surprises at any moment. How prepared are you and your family if the power outage lasts more than a few hours at home? Do you know how to get drinking water when shops are closed due to water outages?", the Rescue Department's Facebook page says*.
The department advises to take care of the consequences of a power outage in advance.
"Make sure you have everything you need at home to cope on your own for at least a week. Therefore, stock up on the necessary things today!", the Rescue Department urges.
For example, the water supply may stop. The Estonian service advises citizens to have supplies in the house at the rate of three liters of water per day per person. If there are none, the Rescue Department has published a link to a portal with a map of all the springs and springs of the country.
The Estonian authorities also give advice on heating, food, communications and money.
"If the power outage lasts for a long time, ATMs and shops may also stop working," the Rescue Department warns.
"Keep a stock of food at home that you can use even in a situation where you do not have the possibility of heating. A barbecue, a camping stove or a primus for cooking will also help," the service advises.
"If there are no such (alternative) options (for heating), use only one room to conserve heat. Close the doors, windows and vents and seal the places where heat can escape from the room," the Rescue Department suggests.
The service also released a memo that Estonians can print out and always have at hand. Estonians themselves do not agree with all the advice of rescuers.
"Put a plastic bag in the toilet bowl (when there is no water supply) — bad idea, after that it will take weeks for plumbers to fix blockages caused by plastic bags stuck in the pipe. Residents of large houses will find it difficult to cope with dry toilets — the nearest one may be kilometers away," writes user Tarmo Kyli. He proposed a scheme for how residents themselves can make a dry toilet in the yard.
"Why should we be ready for this, if, as they say, everything should be fine," Gunnar Wiese is indignant, in turn.
*Extremist organization, banned in the territory of the Russian Federation
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