Trust the Japanese to come up with the name “tsunami”. In Japanese, it means “harbor waves”. And that’s quite appropriate description indeed. Tsunami waves are caused by undersea tremblors or landslide. In the depths of the oceans, such tidal waves have relatively small wave heights. If you are sailing on the surface of the oceans you won’t notice the tidal waves at all. However, as these waves near the land masses, they can rise to great heights and are capable of causing catastrophic damage onshore.
Five years ago, on Boxing Day, December 26 2004, at 8:58 a.m. local time, a massive undersea earthquake of magnitude 9.1 occured off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. This generated a giant tsunami that killed 280,000 people from 13 countries ranging from Indonesai to Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Maldives, and East Africa. Aceh Province in Indonesia was the hardest hit, with over 170,000 deaths. Millions have lost their homes.
This is said to be the largest death toll caused by a natural disaster. Until that fateful day on December 26, 2004 nobody really paid much attention to tsunamis. Now, early warning systems are in place. But then again, how to get the warning to the many coastal communities in a timely manner?
At 8:58 a.m. on this December 26, 2009 people in countries affected by the 2004 marked the occasion with a moment’s silence in remembrance of their dead friends, relatives and loved ones who perished then.
One of my former colleagues was a victim. She died in Phuket, on Khao Lak. Another former colleague survived in the Maldives. Why must one die, and the other survive? But that’s life.
Now, 5 years on, questions are still being asked about where the massive sums of money for tusnami victims went to. Allegations of corruptions are bound to surface when the sums involved are huge.
But the question now is, did the governments of the nations affected by the 2004 tsunami learn their lessons? If there is another one happening now, will they be prepared? Will casualties be lower?
There is no question about the next big quake. It is a matter of when rather than if. When it occurs, what will happen this time round?
On the day that Indonesia observes the fifth anniversary of the 2004 tsunami, a strong earthquake struck in the eastern part of Indonesia, off the Tanimbar Islands. The 6.0 magnitude quake struck at a depth of 57 km (35 miles), which is too deep to cause a tsunami.
Indonesia sits on what is known as the Pacific ring of fire, an active earthquake zone. It’s one thing to remember the 2004 tsunami, and another to be prepared for the next big quake.
Earlier posts
More Earthquakes Hit Indonesia
Earthquake In Java
Earthquakes Increasing In Frequency
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