Quote:
Originally posted by Rod Birley
I don't think I have seen a storm like that before, certainly not in this country. The lightning struck the signing on office twice (I think). 7,500 litres of water were pumped off the circuit. I really think the marshals deserve a lot of praise for putting up with the conditions.
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There is a soakaway to drain water from the circuit at a point in the cut-through between the startline and the Dover Slope. This filled in no time and so we marshals tried our best to divert the torrent (it was that bad there were "waves" in the flow) into the central grass area. Given some equipment we might have done it but all the circuit gear was employed at the "lake" at Chessons.
After getting home I found pools of water INSIDE the pockets of my waterproofs! The water had mixed with the grid sheets to form a very nice pulp! My flags are currently still hanging up to dry in my garage, as are my oversocks, safety boots, gloves, hat, pit board.....
Naming no names, there was a call on the radio from someone anxious to escape to a place of safety. They were inside a vehicle at the time. Something in my school-boy science tells me though that a vehicle will act as a "Faraday cage" thus protecting occupants in the event of a lightning strike. From what I recall the charge will always find the easiest route to earth, this being through the metal and tyres. So long as the occupants do not touch the metal they should be OK. If I'm correct, you are actually safer inside a vehicle during a lightning storm.