Snow and a strong gale with speed up to 150 kilometres per hour caused hours-long disruptions in providing power to residential areas in the region of Lika, central Croatia and in the coastal area of Senj on Saturday, and the Croatian Power Company (HEP) reported on Saturday evening that its teams would resume repairs on the transmission grid on Sunday morning.
On Saturday evening the snow ceased falling in Lika, however, the city of Gospic and other residential areas remained covered by a 50-centimetre-high snow blanket.
Two southern counties -- Split-Dalmatia and Sibenik-Knin -- declared a state of emergency due to Siberian-style winter and snowstorms in the recent days, and also considered plans to call on the Croatian Army to assist in cleaning up slippery motorways and local roads.
Therefore, following an order of Defence Minister Ante Kotromanovic, 200 service people will be available to local authorities in efforts to remove consequences of the bitter winter.
The troops, poised to help the local population, are situated in Knin, Sinj and Split.
Interior Minister Ranko Ostojic on Saturday afternoon visited the hardest-hit mountainous areas in the Split hinterland, including the towns of Imotski and Vrgorac. He said he would later travel to Ploce, where power cuts, caused by snowstorms, had left local residents without electricity for hours.
The Croatian Automobile Club (HAK) reported at 1800 hrs Saturday that snowstorms were still causing travel disruption throughout the country.
There was a traffic ban on a number of roads for freight vehicles with trailers. Many ferry services and bus lines were cancelled.
