Historic thunderstorm hits

Historic because in the 35 years I have lived here this is only the second overhead thunderstorm that I can recall. The first was ages ago and it was particularly memorable because it sort of circled us so lasted quite a long time, long enough for me to go running in it. I stood in the forestry area with rain sluicing over me Mowgli style, lightning all around.

But this one, which occurred yesterday evening, chose as its debut our Thursday meeting of all times. How can one properly enjoy a thunderstorm when one is meant to be in a meeting? It turned out that I missed a bit of it anyway because I noticed Meg (the dog) wandering past the window in the pouring rain, and then wandering back somewhat desultorily. Meg is also historic - not only virtually deaf but also quite arthritic and has just had a stroke - so a bit decrepit.  I look at her and wonder which of us is the more decrepit: I think, I hope for my sake, she has overtaken me (dog years passing somewhat faster than man years).

So I left the meeting to go and rescue Meg. She often ensconces herself in the porch of my office so that where I initially took her. The entrance to my office is at the lowest corner of the courtyard so is subject to flash flooding: the porch floor being not much higher than the outside. You then step up from the porch to the office proper. This corner of the courtyard was starting to flood by this time and I soon realised that the porch was in jeopardy too so I transferred said bedraggled and somewhat senile dog into my office. By this time she was shivering with wet and cold.

It rained and it rained and it rained. Piglet told himself that never in all his life, and he was goodness knows how old--three, was it, or four?--never had he seen so much rain. Days and days and days. Until the water rose above the threshold and started flooding the porch. At its zenith I suppose there was 3 or 4 cm of water over the porch floor - thankfully a ways to go before gaining my office!

Meg ensconced

The flood waters rising

The zenith

What it looked like outside

Only later did we realise that the storm had taken out our PBX (local telephone exchange). On opening it this morning there was evidence of a discharge and the whole thing was dead. I have ordered a replacement. In retrospect if I had unplugged the incoming lines the unit might have been saved. Retrospect is not all that helpful.

Moreover, this afternoon I was called to a neighbour's house where the storm had destroyed a plug-top adaptor supplying their cordless 'phone, had fused a couple of outside lights, and had exploded the fuse inside their automatic gate controller.

I don't think any of these artefacts were due to direct hits: a direct lighting hit would surely be much more destructive. Rather it is just static "in the air" but a bit scary how susceptible electronic gadgetry is to an EMP. How fragile we are when faced with an Act Of God.