The Black alder (Melnalksnis) trail in Ķemeri is particularly affected with a footbridge destroyed, reported Latvian Radio on August 1.
"The area around the administration building of the Ķemeri National Park has suffered more, the [Black alder trail] footbridge has been quite destroyed. It will probably be closed for a fairly long time until we get it in order," said Artūrs Jansons, Deputy Director of the Pierīga Regional Administration of the Nature Protection Board (DAP).
The Sloka lake footbridge has also experienced damage, and in many places there are fallen trees across the access roads to the trails. "At the moment there are still floods, and the water has not receded from the vicinity of Ķemeri, also many forest areas are still flooded. We are trying to deal with the damage, we are gradually clearing the way," the DAP representative said.
The most popular destination in the park – the spectacular Great Ķemeri bog boardwalk – was not damaged by the storm and is open, but there are trees down along the single access road.
The DAP urges the public not to go to the other trails in the Ķemeri National Park until the end of next week, by which time the necessary recovery work should have been carried out.
Jansons pointed out that the arborists and equipment needed for this work are currently busy clearing people's homes of fallen trees.
"We would like people to postpone their visits to the nature trails to a later date, until the most serious damage in the vicinity of Ķemeri is sorted out," said Jansons.
On the night of July 29, a severe storm raged and there were heavy rains. Rescuers received more than 1,000 calls and rainfall, which continued through much of Sunday and Monday, was the heaviest in Latvia since at least 1945.
