After the fiercest storms to hit Jordan in a generation, organisers of the forthcoming WRC event have issued a defiant message that the ‘show will go on’.
Last week six months’ worth of rain fell in 72 hours to cause extensive damage across the Kingdom with chunks of the rally’s 348 kilometres battered by the torrential downpours and the resulting flash floods.
But in an incredible show of determination, officials began orchestrating the work to repair the damage even before the rains subsided to ensure the biggest social and sporting event to hit the Middle East this year will take place from April 1-3 as planned.
“It has been an incredible show of unity, determination and professionalism by all parties involved,” said Khaled Zakaria, Jordan Rally clerk of the course.
“Even during the horrendous storms, we had people working up to their knees in mud and water determined to restrict the amount of damage caused to the routes. It has been a fantastic national effort and after surveying the damage, we are confident of having everything back on track soon.”
The army has been called in to work alongside Government and Municipal agencies as Jordan pulls out all the stops to ensure the event lives up to its reputation of being one of the world’s great motorsport events.
The problems have been compounded due to the stage locations, with many running below sea level and affected by the water which cascades down from the higher ground. The route will be fine tuned to avoid areas that are beyond repair, but the routes are not expected to be changed extensively.