Tsunami 2004

It was 2004, the day after At 7:59 AM, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake—one of the largest ever recorded—ripped through an undersea fault in the Indian Ocean, propelling a massive column of water toward unsuspecting shores. The Boxing Day tsunami would be the deadliest in recorded history, taking a staggering 230,000 lives in a matter of hours. The city of Banda Aceh on the northern tip of Sumatra was closest to the powerful earthquake’s epicenter and the first waves arrived in just 20 minutes. It’s nearly impossible to imagine the 100-foot roiling mountain of water that engulfed the coastal city of 320,000, instantly killing more than 100,000 men, women and children. Buildings folded like houses of cards, trees and cars were swept up in the oil-black rapids and virtually no one caught in the deluge survived. Thailand was next. With waves traveling 500 mph across the Indian Ocean, the tsunami hit the coastal provinces of Phang Nga and Phuket an hour and a half later. Despite the time-lapse, locals and tourists were caught completely unaware of the imminent destruction. Curious beachgoers even wandered out among the oddly receding waves, only to be chased down by a churning wall of water. The death toll in Thailand was nearly 5,400 including 2,000 foreign tourists. An hour later, on the opposite side of the Indian Ocean, the waves struck the southeastern coast of India near the city of Chennai, pushing debris-choked water kilometers inland and killing more than 10,000 people, mos...

• Acèh • Afrikaans • العربية • Asturianu • Azərbaycanca • বাংলা • Bân-lâm-gú • Башҡортса • Беларуская • Беларуская (тарашкевіца) • Български • Català • Čeština • Cymraeg • Dansk • Deutsch • Eesti • Ελληνικά • Español • Esperanto • Euskara • فارسی • Français • Gaeilge • Galego • 한국어 • हिन्दी • Hrvatski • Bahasa Indonesia • Íslenska • Italiano • עברית • Jawa • ಕನ್ನಡ • Latviešu • Lietuvių • Magyar • മലയാളം • मराठी • Bahasa Melayu • မြန်မာဘာသာ • Nederlands • 日本語 • Norsk bokmål • Norsk nynorsk • ਪੰਜਾਬੀ • پښتو • Polski • Português • Română • Русский • Scots • සිංහල • Simple English • Slovenčina • Slovenščina • Српски / srpski • Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски • Sunda • Suomi • Svenska • Tagalog • தமிழ் • తెలుగు • ไทย • Türkçe • Українська • اردو • Tiếng Việt • 吴语 • 粵語 • Zeêuws • 中文 • 15 to 30m (50 to 100ft); • max. 51m (167ft) Casualties 227,898 dead On 26 December 2004, at 07:58:53 local time ( M w struck with an Sumatra–Andaman earthquake, A massive Boxing Day Tsunami after the It was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Asia, the most powerful earthquake in the 21st century, and the Earthquake earthquake and tsunami • • • • • • • • • Indirect: • • • • • • • • • • Military operations • Garron • Sumatra Assist • Unified Assistance Related topics • • • • • See also: Great earthquakes, such as the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, are associated with Since 1900, the only earthquakes recorded with a greater magnitude were the Comparisons with earlier earthquakes are difficult...

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions. • Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives. • In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions. • In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find. • In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history. • Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more. • While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today. • Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians. • Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century. Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them! • Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space! On December 26, 2004, an undersea earthquake struck off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. This quake caused the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, which reached out across the Indian Ocean, devastating coastal areas with waves that in some places reached a height of 30 feet (9 metres) or more when they hit...

Gallery Nine months after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami struck Banda Aceh, Indonesia, students attend Lhok Nga Primary School, one of 11 prefabricated schools built by World Vision for children in Aceh province whose schools were destroyed by the tsunami. They live nearby with their families in temporary housing also built by World Vision. (©2005 World Vision/photo by Jon Warren) Gallery Booplan Raman, 15, sits next to the rubble of his home. Debris is all that’s left of the family’s possessions after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami struck the southeast coast of India where he lives. His father, mother, and four siblings survived but are struggling to get by on relief supplies. (©2005 World Vision/photo by Jon Warren) Gallery In the days after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami devastated the coast of India’s Tamil Nadu state, two young women sift through the remains of their home looking for valuables and documents. Many coastal dwellers lost their livelihoods as fishermen and fish mongers when the waves destroyed their homes, boats, and nets. (©2005 World Vision/photo by Jon Warren) Gallery Arahi Japanthan, 26, sits next to a shrine she made in her home in memory of her youngest daughter, Snega. She lost two of her three daughters when the Indian Ocean tsunami struck their coastal village in southeast India. Abineha, 5, and Snega, 3, weren't able to keep up with their sister Kyalvelli, 10, as they fled the rushing waters. Arahi and her husband, Permal, 32, found their bodies af...

It was 2004, the day after At 7:59 AM, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake—one of the largest ever recorded—ripped through an undersea fault in the Indian Ocean, propelling a massive column of water toward unsuspecting shores. The Boxing Day tsunami would be the deadliest in recorded history, taking a staggering 230,000 lives in a matter of hours. The city of Banda Aceh on the northern tip of Sumatra was closest to the powerful earthquake’s epicenter and the first waves arrived in just 20 minutes. It’s nearly impossible to imagine the 100-foot roiling mountain of water that engulfed the coastal city of 320,000, instantly killing more than 100,000 men, women and children. Buildings folded like houses of cards, trees and cars were swept up in the oil-black rapids and virtually no one caught in the deluge survived. Thailand was next. With waves traveling 500 mph across the Indian Ocean, the tsunami hit the coastal provinces of Phang Nga and Phuket an hour and a half later. Despite the time-lapse, locals and tourists were caught completely unaware of the imminent destruction. Curious beachgoers even wandered out among the oddly receding waves, only to be chased down by a churning wall of water. The death toll in Thailand was nearly 5,400 including 2,000 foreign tourists. An hour later, on the opposite side of the Indian Ocean, the waves struck the southeastern coast of India near the city of Chennai, pushing debris-choked water kilometers inland and killing more than 10,000 people, mos...

• Acèh • Afrikaans • العربية • Asturianu • Azərbaycanca • বাংলা • Bân-lâm-gú • Башҡортса • Беларуская • Беларуская (тарашкевіца) • Български • Català • Čeština • Cymraeg • Dansk • Deutsch • Eesti • Ελληνικά • Español • Esperanto • Euskara • فارسی • Français • Gaeilge • Galego • 한국어 • हिन्दी • Hrvatski • Bahasa Indonesia • Íslenska • Italiano • עברית • Jawa • ಕನ್ನಡ • Latviešu • Lietuvių • Magyar • മലയാളം • मराठी • Bahasa Melayu • မြန်မာဘာသာ • Nederlands • 日本語 • Norsk bokmål • Norsk nynorsk • ਪੰਜਾਬੀ • پښتو • Polski • Português • Română • Русский • Scots • සිංහල • Simple English • Slovenčina • Slovenščina • Српски / srpski • Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски • Sunda • Suomi • Svenska • Tagalog • தமிழ் • తెలుగు • ไทย • Türkçe • Українська • اردو • Tiếng Việt • 吴语 • 粵語 • Zeêuws • 中文 • 15 to 30m (50 to 100ft); • max. 51m (167ft) Casualties 227,898 dead On 26 December 2004, at 07:58:53 local time ( M w struck with an Sumatra–Andaman earthquake, A massive Boxing Day Tsunami after the It was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Asia, the most powerful earthquake in the 21st century, and the Earthquake earthquake and tsunami • • • • • • • • • Indirect: • • • • • • • • • • Military operations • Garron • Sumatra Assist • Unified Assistance Related topics • • • • • See also: Great earthquakes, such as the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, are associated with Since 1900, the only earthquakes recorded with a greater magnitude were the Comparisons with earlier earthquakes are difficult...

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions. • Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives. • In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions. • In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find. • In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history. • Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more. • While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today. • Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians. • Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century. Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them! • Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space! On December 26, 2004, an undersea earthquake struck off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. This quake caused the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, which reached out across the Indian Ocean, devastating coastal areas with waves that in some places reached a height of 30 feet (9 metres) or more when they hit...

Gallery Nine months after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami struck Banda Aceh, Indonesia, students attend Lhok Nga Primary School, one of 11 prefabricated schools built by World Vision for children in Aceh province whose schools were destroyed by the tsunami. They live nearby with their families in temporary housing also built by World Vision. (©2005 World Vision/photo by Jon Warren) Gallery Booplan Raman, 15, sits next to the rubble of his home. Debris is all that’s left of the family’s possessions after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami struck the southeast coast of India where he lives. His father, mother, and four siblings survived but are struggling to get by on relief supplies. (©2005 World Vision/photo by Jon Warren) Gallery In the days after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami devastated the coast of India’s Tamil Nadu state, two young women sift through the remains of their home looking for valuables and documents. Many coastal dwellers lost their livelihoods as fishermen and fish mongers when the waves destroyed their homes, boats, and nets. (©2005 World Vision/photo by Jon Warren) Gallery Arahi Japanthan, 26, sits next to a shrine she made in her home in memory of her youngest daughter, Snega. She lost two of her three daughters when the Indian Ocean tsunami struck their coastal village in southeast India. Abineha, 5, and Snega, 3, weren't able to keep up with their sister Kyalvelli, 10, as they fled the rushing waters. Arahi and her husband, Permal, 32, found their bodies af...

Gallery Nine months after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami struck Banda Aceh, Indonesia, students attend Lhok Nga Primary School, one of 11 prefabricated schools built by World Vision for children in Aceh province whose schools were destroyed by the tsunami. They live nearby with their families in temporary housing also built by World Vision. (©2005 World Vision/photo by Jon Warren) Gallery Booplan Raman, 15, sits next to the rubble of his home. Debris is all that’s left of the family’s possessions after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami struck the southeast coast of India where he lives. His father, mother, and four siblings survived but are struggling to get by on relief supplies. (©2005 World Vision/photo by Jon Warren) Gallery In the days after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami devastated the coast of India’s Tamil Nadu state, two young women sift through the remains of their home looking for valuables and documents. Many coastal dwellers lost their livelihoods as fishermen and fish mongers when the waves destroyed their homes, boats, and nets. (©2005 World Vision/photo by Jon Warren) Gallery Arahi Japanthan, 26, sits next to a shrine she made in her home in memory of her youngest daughter, Snega. She lost two of her three daughters when the Indian Ocean tsunami struck their coastal village in southeast India. Abineha, 5, and Snega, 3, weren't able to keep up with their sister Kyalvelli, 10, as they fled the rushing waters. Arahi and her husband, Permal, 32, found their bodies af...

• Acèh • Afrikaans • العربية • Asturianu • Azərbaycanca • বাংলা • Bân-lâm-gú • Башҡортса • Беларуская • Беларуская (тарашкевіца) • Български • Català • Čeština • Cymraeg • Dansk • Deutsch • Eesti • Ελληνικά • Español • Esperanto • Euskara • فارسی • Français • Gaeilge • Galego • 한국어 • हिन्दी • Hrvatski • Bahasa Indonesia • Íslenska • Italiano • עברית • Jawa • ಕನ್ನಡ • Latviešu • Lietuvių • Magyar • മലയാളം • मराठी • Bahasa Melayu • မြန်မာဘာသာ • Nederlands • 日本語 • Norsk bokmål • Norsk nynorsk • ਪੰਜਾਬੀ • پښتو • Polski • Português • Română • Русский • Scots • සිංහල • Simple English • Slovenčina • Slovenščina • Српски / srpski • Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски • Sunda • Suomi • Svenska • Tagalog • தமிழ் • తెలుగు • ไทย • Türkçe • Українська • اردو • Tiếng Việt • 吴语 • 粵語 • Zeêuws • 中文 • 15 to 30m (50 to 100ft); • max. 51m (167ft) Casualties 227,898 dead On 26 December 2004, at 07:58:53 local time ( M w struck with an Sumatra–Andaman earthquake, A massive Boxing Day Tsunami after the It was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Asia, the most powerful earthquake in the 21st century, and the Earthquake earthquake and tsunami • • • • • • • • • Indirect: • • • • • • • • • • Military operations • Garron • Sumatra Assist • Unified Assistance Related topics • • • • • See also: Great earthquakes, such as the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, are associated with Since 1900, the only earthquakes recorded with a greater magnitude were the Comparisons with earlier earthquakes are difficult...