Should you be afraid of a tsunami in Thailand? Tsunami in Thailand Shortly before the tragedy

In the history of mankind, December 26, 2004 was marked by a tragedy of enormous proportions, which brought a sea of suffering to a huge number of people. At 00:58 UTC (07:58 a.m. local), a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1 to 9.3 occurred in the depths of the Indian Ocean, near the Indonesian island of Simeulue. It gave rise to a series of rogue waves, which within a few hours brought terrible destruction to the shores of Asia, killing approximately 300 thousand people. Among the countries hit by the disaster was Thailand.

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On the most ordinary December morning, powerful tremors of the seabed led to the displacement of huge masses of water in the ocean. In the open sea, it looked like low, but stretching for thousands of kilometers water semicircles, rushing at incredible speed (up to 1000 km/h) to the shores of Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and even African Somalia. As the waves approached shallow water, they slowed down, but in some places acquired monstrous sizes - up to 40 meters in height. Like enraged chimeras, they carried an energy twice as high as the energy of all the explosions of the Second World War with the nuclear bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki inclusive.

At this time, residents and guests of the western coast of Thailand (Phuket, Krabi province and the surrounding small islands) began a very ordinary day. Some were in a hurry to go to work, some were still basking in a soft bed, and some had already decided to enjoy the sea. The tremors were practically unnoticeable, so no one, absolutely no one, suspected the impending mortal danger.

About an hour after the earthquake, strange phenomena began to appear on land at sea: animals and birds ran away in anxiety, the sound of the surf ceased, and the water in the sea abruptly left the shore. Intrigued, people began to go out to the shallow areas of the seabed to collect exposed shells and fish.

No one saw the approaching 15-meter wall of water, since it did not have a white crest, and for a long time visually merged with the surface of the sea. By the time she was noticed, it was already too late. Like an angry lion, the sea crashed onto the land with a roar and howl. With tremendous speed it carried streams of enraged water, crushing, tearing and grinding everything in its path.

The ocean traveled hundreds of meters inland, and in some places up to two kilometers. When his strength was exhausted, the movement of the water stopped, but only to rush back at the same speed. And woe to those who did not have time to take cover. At the same time, the danger was not so much the water itself, but what it carried. Huge pieces of soil, concrete and reinforcement, broken furniture, cars, advertising signs, broken high-voltage cables - all this threatened to kill, flatten and injure anyone who found themselves in the frantic flow.

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When the water left

After it was all over, a truly terrifying picture appeared to the survivors. It seemed that evil giants were playing terrible games here, moving huge objects and leaving them in the most unexpected places: a car in the hotel lobby, a tree trunk in a window or a swimming pool, a boat on the roof of a house, a hundred meters from the sea... Buildings that once stood on the shore and were almost completely destroyed. The streets turned into a hellish mess of fragments of furniture, mangled and overturned cars, shards of glass, broken wires and, worst of all, the bodies of dead people and animals.

Elimination of the consequences of the tsunami

Measures to eliminate the consequences of the tsunami began to be taken immediately after the water left. All military and police were mobilized, camps were organized for the victims with access to clean water, food and a place to rest. Due to the hot climate, the danger of outbreaks of infections associated with contamination of air and drinking water increased every hour, so the government and local population faced a tough task: to locate all the dead in the shortest possible time, identify them if possible and properly bury them. To do this, it was necessary to clear away the rubble all day long, without sleep or rest. Many governments around the world sent human and material resources to help the Thai people.

The total number of deaths on the shores of Thailand reached 8,500 people, 5,400 of whom were citizens of more than forty countries, a third of them were children. Later, after the governments of the affected states were able to assess the total damage, the 2004 tsunami was recognized as the deadliest ever known.

The earthquake that raised giant waves was so strong that it pierced our planet right through, causing ground vibrations of up to 3 mm in the United States. At the same time, such a mass of energy was released that the Earth changed its rotation, reducing the length of the day by 2.6 microseconds. Some small islands near Sumatra have shifted to the southwest by up to 20 meters.

Years after the tragedy

Next year will mark 10 years since the tragedy that claimed more than 300 thousand lives and brought grief and despair to even more people around the world. During this time, Thailand was able to recover and completely restore the affected areas. A year after the disaster, the issue of providing housing for those who lost a roof over their head was resolved.

New homes, especially on the coast, are now being built to specific specifications. Their design, materials and location will allow them to withstand the elements of the sea and, in the event of a threat, reduce casualties and destruction to a minimum.

But most importantly, Thailand has joined the international system of deep-sea tracking of the movement of masses of water in the ocean, with the help of which it is possible to predict the arrival of a tsunami in advance. On islands and cities where there is a possibility of giant waves, warning and evacuation systems have been created. Extensive educational work has been carried out to familiarize people with the rules of behavior in the event of a natural disaster.

On July 9, 1958, a strong earthquake triggered a giant landslide in Lituya Bay, southwest Alaska. Three hundred million cubic meters of soil, rock and ice then fell into the sea, raising a record-high wave in the entire history of tsunami observations. A wall of water 524 meters high moved at a speed of 160 km/h, blocking the sky and the sun, and hit Cenotaph Island, creating several more giant waves in the bay.

Today, the general phobia of a possible tsunami in Thailand has practically disappeared. Tourists flock to the shores of the kingdom with renewed enthusiasm and enjoy traveling around this amazing country. The coast now looks more beautiful than it was, and only signs with rules of behavior in the event of danger remind of the tragedy of 2004. But this is only external. The elements left behind a huge number of broken human destinies. People will keep memories of the fear they experienced for a long time and grieve for those who can no longer be returned.

Underwater earthquake in the Indian Ocean, which occurred on December 26, 2004 at 00:58:53 UTC (07:58:53 local time) caused a tsunami recognized as the deadliest natural disaster in modern history. The magnitude of the earthquake, according to various estimates, ranged from 9.1 to 9.3, this is the second or third largest earthquake in the entire history of observation.

According to various estimates, from 225,000 to 300,000 people died. According to the USGS (the death toll is 227,898. The true death toll is unlikely to ever be known because many bodies were washed out to sea.

Characteristics of an earthquake

The earthquake north of Simeulue Island was initially estimated to be 6.8 magnitudes on the Richter scale. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) assessed it at magnitude 8.5 immediately after the event. The moment magnitude, which more accurately estimates earthquakes of this magnitude, was 8.1. Upon further analysis, this score was gradually increased to 9.0. In February 2005, the strength of the earthquake was reestimated at 9.3 magnitude. The PTWC accepted this new estimate, while the USGS estimates the magnitude of the earthquake to be 9.1 magnitude.

Since 1900, recorded earthquakes of comparable magnitude have included the 1960 Great Chile Earthquake (magnitude 9.3 - 9.5), the Great Alaskan Ice Bay Earthquake (9.2), and the 1952 South Kamchatka Earthquake (9.2). 0). Each of these earthquakes also resulted in a tsunami (in the Pacific Ocean), but the death toll was significantly lower; at most - a few thousand people, perhaps because the population density in those areas is quite low, and the distances to the more populated coasts are quite large.

The hypocenter of the main earthquake was at 3.316°N, 95.854°E. (3° 19′ N, 95° 51.24′ E), about 160 km west of Sumatra, at a depth of 30 km from sea level (initially reported 10 km from sea level). This is the western end of the Ring of Fire, the earthquake belt where up to 81% of the world's largest earthquakes occur.

The earthquake was unusually large in a geographical sense. There was a shift of about 1200 km (according to some estimates - 1600 km) of rock over a distance of 15 m along the subduction zone, as a result of which the Indian plate “climbed” under the Burma plate. The shift was not one-time, but was divided into two phases within a few minutes. Seismographic data suggests that the first phase formed a fault measuring approximately 400 km by 100 km, located at approximately 30 km above sea level. The fault formed at a speed of about 2 km/s, starting from the shore of Ase towards the northwest for about 100 seconds. Then there was a pause of about 100 seconds, after which the fault continued to form north towards the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The Indian Plate is part of the larger Indo-Australian Plate that lines the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal, moving northeast at an average speed of 6 cm/year. The Indian plate touches the Burma plate, which is considered part of the greater Eurasian plate), forming the Sunda Trench. At this point, the Indian plate is being pushed under the Burma plate, which contains the Nicobar Islands, the Andaman Islands and the northern part of the island of Sumatra. The Indian Plate gradually slides deeper and deeper beneath the Burma Plate until increasing temperatures and increasing pressure turn the subducted edge of the Indian Plate into magma, which is eventually ejected upward through volcanoes. This process is interrupted by the interlocking of the plates for several centuries until the build-up of pressure results in a major earthquake and tsunami. Volcanic activity resulting from the Indo-Australian Plate being subducted under the Eurasian Plate created the Sunda Trench.

When tectonic plates move, the seabed also rises by several meters, thereby generating destructive tsunami waves. Tsunamis do not have a point center as such, as is erroneously assumed from illustrations of their propagation. Tsunamis propagate radially from the entire fault, which is approximately 1200 km long. It is for this reason that the tsunami waves were so strong that they even reached Mexico and Chile

Aftershocks and other earthquakes

Several subsequent aftershocks were recorded near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, as well as in the area of the epicenter during the next few hours and days after the first earthquake. The highest recorded intensity was 7.1 (near the Nicobar Islands). Other tremors with a magnitude of up to 6.6 continued to occur in the area of the epicenter almost every day.

The quake came three days after a magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck the uninhabited area west of New Zealand's Auckland Islands and north of Australia's Macquarie Island. This is very unusual, since earthquakes with a magnitude of 8 or more occur on average no more than once a year. Some seismologists suggest a connection between these two earthquakes, saying that the later one was triggered by the first one, since both earthquakes occurred on opposite sides of the Indo-Australian tectonic plate. However, the USGS does not see a connection between them.

Coincidentally, this earthquake occurred exactly one year (to the hour) after the magnitude 6.6 earthquake that occurred in the city of Bam in Iran.

Like subsequent tremors, the energy released by the first earthquake continued to act, with vibrations still being detected a week after the earthquake, providing important scientific data about the Earth's interior.

Earthquake power

The total energy released by the Indian Ocean earthquake is estimated to be approximately 2 exajoules (2.0.10 18 joules). This energy is enough to boil 150 liters of water for every inhabitant of the Earth. It is assumed that the Earth's surface oscillated within 20-30 cm, which is equivalent to tidal forces acting from the Sun and Moon. The shock wave of the earthquake passed through the entire planet, in the USA, in the state of Oklahoma, vertical vibrations of 3 mm were recorded.

The mass shift and huge release of energy did not change the Earth's rotation much. The exact figure has not yet been determined, but theoretical models suggest that the earthquake shortened the length of the day by about 2.68 microseconds (2.68 microseconds), that is, by about one-billionth, due to the decrease in the Earth's flattening. The earthquake also resulted in the so-called. minute “wobble” of the Earth around its own axis by 2.5 cm in the direction of 145° east longitude, or perhaps even by 5 or 6 cm. However, under the influence of the tidal forces of the Moon, the length of the day increases by an average of 15 μs every year, so that any increase in rotation speed will quickly disappear. In addition, the natural wobble of the Earth on its axis can be up to 15 m.

More impressively, some small islands southwest of Sumatra have been shifted southwest by up to 20 meters. The northern end of Sumatra, which is on the Burma Plate (southern regions of the Sunda Plate), may also be shifted 36 meters to the southwest. The shift was both vertical and lateral; some coastal areas are now below sea level. Measurements made using GPS and satellite photographs provide insight into how much the geophysical situation has changed. An undersea earthquake in the Indian Ocean, which occurred on December 26, 2004 at 00:58:53 UTC (07:58:53 local time), caused a tsunami, recognized as the deadliest natural disaster in modern history. The magnitude of the earthquake, according to various estimates, ranged from 9.1 to 9.3, this is the second or third largest earthquake in the entire history of observation.

The epicenter of the earthquake was in the Indian Ocean, north of the island of Simeulue, located off the northwestern coast of the island of Sumatra (Indonesia). The tsunami reached the shores of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, southern India, Thailand and other countries. The height of the waves exceeded 15 meters. The tsunami caused enormous destruction and a huge number of deaths, including in Port Elizabeth in South Africa, 6,900 km from the epicenter.

According to various estimates, from 225,000 to 300,000 people died. According to the USGS, the death toll is 227,898. The true death toll is unlikely to ever be known because many bodies were washed out to sea

Characteristics of a tsunami

Sharp vertical shocks of the seabed of several meters during the earthquake caused the movement of huge masses of water, which resulted in a tsunami that reached the coasts of the Indian Ocean. Tsunamis that cause damage very far from where they originate are usually called "telotsunamis", and they are more often caused by vertical displacement of the seafloor than by horizontal displacement ( Earthquakes and tsunamis, Lorca et al.).

This tsunami, like the others, behaves very differently in the deep parts of the ocean than in shallow waters. In the deep-sea part, tsunami waves look like a small bump, just noticeable, but seemingly harmless, and they move at a very high speed (500-1000 km/h); in shallow water near the coasts, the tsunami slows down to tens of kilometers per hour, but at the same time forms huge destructive waves.

Radar satellites recorded the height of tsunami waves in the deep ocean; two hours after the earthquake, the maximum wave height reached 60 cm. These are the first measurements of such complexity in history.

According to Ted Murty, vice president of the Tsunami Society, the total energy of the tsunami waves was comparable to five megatons of TNT (20 petajoules). This is more than twice the energy of all the war shells detonated during World War II (including the two atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki), but orders of magnitude less than the energy released by the earthquake itself. In many places, the waves traveled up to 2 km of land, and in some (particularly in the coastal city of Banda Aceh) - 4 km.

Since the 1,200-kilometer fault was located approximately in the north-south direction, the tsunami waves reached their greatest strength in the east-west direction. Bangladesh, located at the northern end of the Bay of Bengal, received the least damage despite being located quite low above sea level.

Coasts that have a natural terrestrial barrier to tsunami waves were mostly left unaffected; however, tsunami waves can sometimes diffract around such terrestrial barriers. Thus, the Indian state of Kerala suffered from the tsunami, although it is located on the western coast of India; The west coast of Sri Lanka was also heavily damaged by the tsunami. In addition, a large distance from the place where waves occur does not guarantee safety either; Somalia suffered much more than Bangladesh, although it is much further away.

Depending on the distance, the time it took for the tsunami to reach the coasts was from 50 minutes to 7 hours (in the case of Somalia). The northern regions of the Indonesian island of Sumatra met the tsunami very quickly, and Sri Lanka and the east coast of India only after time from 90 minutes to 2 hours later. Thailand was also hit by the wave two hours later, although it was closer to the epicenter - due to the fact that the tsunami moved more slowly in the shallow Andaman Sea.

In Struisbaai (South Africa), which is approximately 8,500 km from the site of the earthquake, tidal waves 1.5 m high were recorded 16 hours after the event. The relatively long time it took for waves to reach this southernmost point of Africa can be explained by the nature of the continental shelf off the southern coast of Africa and the fact that the tsunami had to follow the entire southern coast from east to west.

Some tsunami energy escaped into the Pacific Ocean, resulting in small but noticeable (to measure) tsunamis along the western coasts of North and South America (averaging 20-40 cm in height). At Manzanillo, Mexico, a wave height of 2.6 m was recorded. Some experts note that this relatively large tsunami over such a long distance was caused by a combination of the effects of the Pacific Ocean and local geography.

Signs and warnings

Despite the delay of up to several hours between the earthquake and the tsunami strike, for almost all the victims this very strike came as a complete surprise; There was no tsunami detection system in the Indian Ocean and, most importantly, a general warning system for the population of coastal areas. Detection of a tsunami in itself is not so easy, since at the moment when the wave is far from the shore, it does not have a high height that a network of sensors and sensors can detect. But building a sufficient communications infrastructure for timely tsunami warning is a challenge.

Damage and casualties

The reported death toll from the earthquake, tsunami and subsequent flooding fluctuates widely due to confusion and conflicting reports from the ground. The total number of deaths is estimated at approximately 235 thousand people, tens of thousands are missing, and more than a million people were left homeless. Casualties were initially reported in the hundreds of lives, but over the following week the number of known casualties increased greatly.

Charities say about a third of those killed were children. This is a result of the high proportion of children in the settlements of many of the affected regions and the fact that children were the least able to resist the rising waters.

In addition to the huge number of local residents, over 9,000 foreign tourists (mostly Europeans) who spent holidays in the regions affected by the tsunami are dead or missing, especially tourists from Scandinavian countries. Probably the heaviest blow from the European countries was dealt to Sweden - 60 dead and 1,300 missing were reported.

Disaster-affected countries

The earthquake and the resulting tsunami caused damage to a large number of countries in Southeast Asia, such as Indonesia (especially the province of Aceh and the city of Banda Aceh), Sri Lanka, Thailand, the Maldives, Somalia, Myanmar, Malaysia and so on. Many citizens from other countries, especially Australia and European countries, spent their holidays in the disaster region

12.12.2016

More than 10 years have already passed since a terrible disaster occurred - the tsunami in Thailand. What people had to go through on December 26, 2004 (it was on this day that this terrible event happened) cannot be expressed in words. Waves of monstrous height, rushing at great speed to the shores of Asia, swept away everything in their path: people, animals, houses, cars, trees and everything else. The disaster brought a lot of grief and casualties: more than 300 thousand people died, of which 8,500 people died in Thailand.

World history and those people who managed to survive then keep in their memory the tragic events of that day. Let's remember how it was.

How a global tragedy occurred

To the question about When there was a tsunami in Thailand, which brought a lot of trouble not only to local residents, but also to numerous vacationers in this country, the events of 2004 immediately come to mind. It was the worst disaster in the country's modern history.. A similar one was recorded on the territory of this state more than 700 years ago.

How did it all begin and what was the cause of this global tragedy?

An ordinary December morning did not foretell any trouble. Everything was as usual. People were doing their usual things: some were still sleeping, some were already working, and some decided to go to the coast. Meanwhile, at 00:58 UTC and 7:58 local time in the Indian Ocean near the Indonesian island of Simeulue An earthquake of unprecedented magnitude occurred. Its magnitude was 9.1-9.3 points! The tremors provoked the emergence of a series of incredibly high, powerful and fast waves, which just a few hours later rushed fiercely towards the shores of Asian countries (Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Somalia), including Thailand.

It's scary to imagine, but the speed at which the waves rushed was about 1000 km/h . Approaching shallow water, they slowed down a little, as if they were gaining strength before delivering a brutal blow, and acquired simply monstrous sizes - sometimes even up to 40 meters in height!

The photo shows that some eyewitnesses on the beach realized the approaching disaster

The earthquake in Thailand was practically not felt, so people did not even suspect that an angry disaster would soon hit the coastal lands. No one knew that the west coast, where Phuket, Krabi province and the surrounding small islands are located, would soon come face to face with an uncontrollable natural disaster. Since there had never been phenomena of such monstrous proportions here before, the tsunami rescue system actually did not work.

About an hour after the fatal earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean, something inexplicable began to happen. Birds began to fly away from the shore, and animals also ran away from the sea in restlessness. Even the sound of the surf stopped. When the water “went away” and the seabed was exposed, people even then could not think that this was a harbinger of impending disaster. Interested in the beautiful shells and fish remaining on land, they began to go out to the shallow bottom.

Even at that moment, when a huge 15-meter wave rushed to the shore, no one saw it, since it did not have a characteristic white crest, which is why it simply merged with the horizon. Only when she came close to the coast did panic begin. But it was already too late, because no one could outpace the moving wall of water and manage to escape.

The wave easily swept away everything that stood in its way: people, animals, cars, houses, uprooted trees, pulled out metal reinforcement, tore off live electrical wires, and crushed concrete. And it was not so much the water that caused more trouble, but rather what was in it.

Ocean waters affected hundreds of meters of land, and in some places up to 2 kilometers.

The terrifying consequences of the tsunami

What the raging water element did was terrible. The consequences of the 2004 tsunami in Thailand are incredibly tragic, but Thailand was much luckier due to the shallower Andaman Sea than, for example, the island of Sumatra. Those who were further from the shore and were able to survive this nightmare saw a shocking picture when the water receded.

Various huge objects were in the most unexpected places: giant trees in houses, motor boats on the roofs, cars in the spacious hotel lobby... There were no streets as such. Everything became like a dump of fragments of furniture, cars, bricks, trees. You can watch the video to see what people saw then.

But the worst thing is the many bodies of dead people and animals. According to official figures, the tsunami killed 8,500 people in Thailand. 5,400 are tourists from around the world, about half of whom are children.

The amazing thing is that the earthquake of monstrous force literally pierced the planet right through. The energy of the vibrations was so powerful that some small islands near Sumatra moved to the southwest by about 20 meters, and the planet itself changed its rotation.

The state government, concerned about possible outbreaks of infections, urgently sent forces to search for bodies with a view to identifying and burying them.

The grief the 2004 Thai tsunami brought to the island of Phuket cannot be measured in words or numbers. It will forever remain in the memory of those who lost their loved ones.

Let's not even talk about the fact that many survivors lost their shelter, clothing, food and any means of subsistence. Many countries around the world began sending humanitarian aid.

Today Thailand has fully recovered from the tragedy. According to special requirements, new housing was built on the coast, additional measures were introduced to prevent devastating consequences if the population suddenly had to endure a tsunami.. And only the memory of people preserves the events of that day - December 26, 2004.

How high is the risk of a tsunami?

In Thailand, tsunamis are rare events. In order for waves of monstrous strength and height to form, several conditions must simultaneously coincide:

the epicenter of the earthquake is located close to the bottom surface;
the magnitude of the earthquake is more than 7 points;
the shock from the earthquake resonated with the vibrations of the water;
noticeable vertical displacement of parts of the bottom relative to each other.

Often, tsunamis are not even felt by people, but are simply recorded by special devices.

Rescue system

In 2004, in Thailand and neighboring countries, which were attacked by rogue waves, the danger warning system was not properly adjusted. But after those events, increased attention was paid to this issue.

Today the rescue system in Thailand consists of two parts. This is a warning of impending danger and the evacuation of the population and tourists. In 2012, the system was tested in Phuket. The alert went off and most people moved to higher ground. At least no one was wandering along the shore anymore.

Procedure in case of a tsunami

Of course, it’s better not to get into such situations at all, but the elements are the elements and you need to be on your guard. If you are in Thailand and hear a tsunami alert, you should do the following:

Don't panic under any circumstances. The state has a well-functioning tsunami early warning system. And the likelihood that a repeat of the 2004 scenario is possible is negligible.
If you suddenly notice that the sea has “removed” and there was no warning about the danger, immediately leave the coastal areas, following the signs.
It is necessary to go as far as possible from the sea and climb to higher ground - for example, to the roofs of multi-story buildings.
It should be remembered that there are always several waves, and do not go down ahead of time. Sometimes the break between waves can be more than an hour.
Even if everything has calmed down, you should not approach the coastal areas for as long as possible.

The 2004 tsunami once again proved to humanity that, despite its inflated sense of superiority and scientific and technological progress, it can be absolutely defenseless against the greatness of the elements. Perhaps more attention should be paid to the safety and protection of people from various natural hazards, than to develop another “important”, absolutely useless invention?

Tsunamis in Thailand can occur due to the fact that the country is located near an area of seismic activity. Earthquakes deep in the Indian Ocean can reach the country in the form of a tsunami. After the tragic events of 2004, when a raging water disaster off the coast of Asia claimed more than three hundred thousand civilian lives, a special national seismological service closely monitors the seismic state in the ocean and keeps reports.

The approaching tsunami to Thailand in 2004

If excessive seismic activity is detected, Thai residents will be warned in advance. If a tourist is going to go on vacation to Thailand, then he needs to know what a tsunami is and what consequences they can bring.

The tsunami in Thailand in 2004 began with the fact that on December 26 at 8 a.m. local time a powerful earthquake occurred in the depths of the Indian Ocean, with a power of 9-10.5 points on the Richter scale. After the start of the first seismic activity, huge waves demolished many residential buildings in a couple of hours. Residents of Asia, and especially Thailand, suffered huge losses.

That day, residents and visitors of Thailand, suspecting nothing, went about their business: some went to work, while others came to the beach in the morning. The tsunami began with tremors that no one felt, so panic arose only when the first waves off the coast of Phuket, reaching a height of about 40 meters, began to demolish everything in their path: houses, trees; flooding residential areas.

The first thing that residents noticed after the tremors was that animals and birds began to panic and hide wherever they could. Then, at about 9 a.m., the water off the coast strangely receded, and people began collecting shells on shallow areas of the water surface. The first shock wave, foreshadowing a tsunami, was about 15 meters high, and it was noticed too late. It lacked a white crest, and for a long time it was invisible against the background of the sea surface.

The shock wave rolled hundreds of meters, or even several kilometers forward overland, demolishing everything that could be demolished: concrete buildings, signs, shops, trees. With the same force, capturing everything carried back with it, the wave moved back towards the ocean. So the flood in Thailand took people's lives with it, killing them with shock waves.

Consequences of the tsunami in Thailand in 2004

Immediately after the end of the shock wave, the government ordered the immediate task of rescue services to comb the territory of Thailand to find the dead and injured. In hot climates, infections spread at lightning speed, so the dead had to be urgently found and buried. The state suffered greatly from loss and devastation, so many countries provided material assistance to Thailand. According to statistics, 8.5 thousand people died from a natural disaster in the former Siam. Of these, 5.5 thousand were tourists from more than 40 countries, and a third of them were minors. When the Thai authorities calculated the damage caused by the 2004 flood, the disaster caused by the earthquake was recognized as the most destructive and deadly of all that had happened before.

Reminder for vacationers

Although a large-scale tsunami has not been observed in Thailand since 2004 to this day, a cautious traveler can really worry about the safety of his stay in Thailand. Therefore, you need to remember a few important points in case such a situation arises.

The Indochinese peninsula covers the territory of the Gulf of Thailand, so tourists traveling to cities such as Pattaya, Koh Samet, Koh Chang and Koh Kood need to worry less than tourists who vacation on Phi Phi or Phuket.

It was previously reported that after the tragic events when floods in Thailand claimed thousands of lives, a center was established to detect the slightest seismic activity. If the seismological service notices even minor fluctuations, then it is their responsibility to inform the authorities, and then the media will disseminate information about the approaching cataclysm on all radio and television channels.

So thrifty tourists should listen to the news of the day on the radio and read local newspapers every day in Thailand; it also wouldn’t hurt to simultaneously view Internet news online. Especially if travelers are vacationing in the southern part of the former kingdom of Siam.

The main signs of an impending flood are:

Something strange is happening to the water off the coast - a rapid ebb begins with such lightning speed that fish and other inhabitants of the seabed do not have time to swim for water, and remain on the sand.
Animals that live on land begin to panic: they run away from their houses to higher ground or hide in other secluded places.

What should be done in the event of a threat of a marine disaster?

On the territory of beach areas there are often signs with a guide to the highest point or evacuation points.
After the end of the earthquake and before the start of a natural disaster, there is always a time period, which sometimes lasts several hours, during which time you can take transport and leave the city further.
It is advisable to contact the rescue service and follow all the instructions they provide online.
You cannot panic and lose self-control - you need to reason calmly and act according to safety rules.

The history of the 2004 flood in cinematography

The tsunami in Thailand left a huge mark on human history. In particular, there is a film telling about the past events of 2004 in Thailand. The film is called "The Impossible". The story tells how the family of a certain Maria Belon survived the disaster of 2004 and remained alive. The film is based on real events. Maria Belen is a living person, she was actually present during the disaster, but while saving herself, she lost part of her leg. Now Maria works as a lawyer (she is a doctor by profession) and defends people affected by the tsunami in Thailand.

disaster film "The Impossible"

“The Impossible” is a 2012 film directed by a Spanish director. The participant in the real events herself chose the actress for the main role, who successfully played it and received an Oscar for best acting. Maria Belen Alvarez also took an active part in working on the script together with screenwriter Sergio Sanchez.

The plot of the film: a family of five (father, mother and three boys) come to relax in Thailand, and one terrible day a tsunami takes them all by surprise: a man with two children is swimming, and the mother and eldest son are sitting on the shore.

A powerful stream of water of enormous height covers the entire family, and they are forced to flee. The water sweeps away everything in its path, Maria, making titanic efforts, emerges from the water and grabs the branch of a tree. Meanwhile, she notices that her eldest son is being carried away by the stream, and the woman heroically rushes into the pool of water to try to save her child. The story ends well - the father of a family with two younger children finds a mother with her eldest son in one of the hospitals.

Still from the film “The Impossible”

The film was not created with the intention of showing a tragic story with a happy ending. The meaning of the film lies primarily in its title. First, no one expected that a catastrophe of such magnitude could happen so suddenly, nevertheless, it happened. Secondly, the film shows an unimaginable desire to live. The film encourages you not to give up and not leave your loved ones, no matter what happens. It would seem that in such a catastrophic case it is useless to resist and attempt rescue, but the main character proves the opposite.

The tsunami in 2004 was one of the most destructive disasters of our time. Although the epicenter of the tsunami was in the eastern Indian Ocean, near Indonesia, the giant wave reached Sri Lanka. The tsunami in Sri Lanka in 2004 was very destructive.
The incident in Sri Lanka on December 26, 2004 occurred unexpectedly - tsunami waves hit the island without warning, so the population did not have time to evacuate and prepare to face this cataclysm. Therefore, there is nothing surprising in the large number of victims and injured during this natural disaster. A total of 13 tsunami tidal waves hit Sri Lanka. Only the northern part of the island was practically unaffected by the tsunami, while areas in the southwest, southeast and south of Sri Lanka were heavily damaged by this cataclysm.
The tsunami in Sri Lanka in 2004 was caused by earthquakes off the coast of Sumatra with a magnitude of 9.1 on the Richter scale. It was the third most powerful earthquake on Earth since the recording of earthquake power on the Richter scale began. Because of this earthquake, a tsunami was formed, which went in all directions from the epicenter of the earthquake. Countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand were hit the hardest, but other Asian countries and even some East African countries were also affected.
There were at least two, and sometimes even up to six, tidal waves before the tsunami penetrated into the interior of the island of Sri Lanka. These waves also caused great damage to the island. In addition, the receding water also destroyed buildings and carried various objects and people into the ocean. This is why after the tsunami many people were considered missing.

Which areas of Sri Lanka were affected by the tsunami?

Sri Lanka was hit hard by the 2004 tsunami. Almost all areas of the island were affected. These are, in particular, not only areas in the south and southwest of Sri Lanka, but also areas of South-Eastern and Western Sri Lanka. Thus, almost three-quarters of the island's coastline was affected. In addition, the tsunami resulted in the country's worst train accident, with more than 1,000 casualties. Another very negative effect was that the tsunami made it virtually impossible to locate the more than a million anti-personnel mines on the islands that had been planted during the civil war.

Death toll from the 2004 Sri Lanka tsunami

Although Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia are thought to have the highest number of tsunami casualties, Sri Lanka actually had the second highest death toll from the 2004 tsunami.
Reports on the number of deaths vary. As of March 1, 2005, an estimated 36,603 people died in the months following the tsunami. 800,000 people living on the coast of Sri Lanka are considered to be directly affected by the tsunami. They were injured and/or lost shelter or some other important property. Tourism and fishing have created high population densities along the coast. The coastal lifestyle of people in Sri Lanka contributed to the high mortality rate resulting from the tsunami. Below you will see an image that shows the death toll by region in Sri Lanka. In addition to the large death toll, approximately 100,000 buildings and 180 schools were destroyed. The houses were easily destroyed since they were built mainly from wood.
The damage caused by the 2004 Sri Lanka tsunami is visible even today. The country's infrastructure, which has been badly damaged, is being restored very slowly. The Sri Lankan government estimated the damage from the tsunami at $1.4 billion. One can imagine what this money means for such a poor country as Sri Lanka. Today, only monuments visually remind of the tsunami. One of them is the memorial in Hikkaduwa, which was built with financial support from Japan and is dedicated to the victims of the tsunami.

The impact of the tsunami on the nature of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is an island with a variety of plants and animals, many of which are endemic. Sri Lanka is also home to very delicate ecosystems such as rainforest, coral reefs and mangrove wetlands. The long-term impact of tsunamis on these ecosystems is not as clear as the impact on humans. Ecosystems, although very fragile, can withstand long periods of time after being harmed, making it difficult to judge how well they will recover from immediate damage. Wetlands and forests were initially destroyed, but how quickly and effectively they are restored is not yet known. It is important that these areas recover and regain the enormous biodiversity they once had.
The Sri Lanik forests acted as a barrier or cushion for the waves. Forested areas of the coast helped ease the impact of waves on the interior. No one knows how many lives have been saved by the forest environment.
There is an irony that is very evident in the tsunami story. The natural environment caused this disaster and stole the lives of many people. When the dust settled, people turned to the environment for food, shelter, and income, just as they had before. The importance of preserving coastal forests and wetlands to provide buffers for future tsunamis is emphasized. Fishermen whose boats were not destroyed are heading back to the oceans and tourists are once again toying with the idea of a holiday in Sri Lanka. The irony is that the source of such a horrific event was the giver of life on the island of Sri Lanka.

Earthquakes in Sri Lanka and the risk of a new tsunami

As you know, Sri Lanka has already experienced earthquakes and tsunamis. Today, many are interested in the question of what is the likelihood of a new tsunami or earthquake in Sri Lanka? Before attempting to answer this question, it is best to understand what is the main cause of earthquakes and tsunamis. First of all, it should be noted that predicting the time and date of future earthquakes and tsunamis is one of the frontiers of scientific research. Anyone who tries to predict a future earthquake may be considered to be speculating. So it's better to just look at what the actual probability of an earthquake in Sri Lanka is.
About 1000 km east of Sri Lanka lies the main plate boundary. It is close to Indonesia, Sumatra, Nicobar and Andaman Islands. This area is as active as ever. In fact, this particular plate boundary is the most active in the world right now. It was on this border that a gigantic earthquake measuring more than 9.0 on the Richter scale occurred, causing a tsunami in 2004. It is clear that this region is hyperactive and has experienced hundreds of earthquakes over the past few years. Although major earthquakes occurring in this region do not affect Sri Lanka, except for minor tremors due to distance, a tsunami cannot be ruled out. Not all earthquakes underwater cause a tsunami, but there is definitely a chance that one will cause a tsunami.
Many people still believe that the island of Sri Lanka is quite safe from earthquakes and that, with the exception of minor tremors, nothing like this can happen here. It should be mentioned, however, that in 1615 there was an earthquake in the Colombo area, after which more than 200 deaths were recorded. What does it mean? This only means that the geological conditions are favorable for a moderate sized earthquake to occur in Sri Lanka. So there really is a possibility of an earthquake in Sri Lanka, and it is stupid to exclude such a development of events. Indeed, many people would have laughed if they had been told before 2004 that Sri Lanka would be hit by a devastating tsunami. Historical records are often dismissed with contempt. In August 1883, a tsunami already hit Sri Lanka after the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano.
Several other geological options should not be ignored either. According to one scenario, the northern end of the plate on which Sri Lanka sits could slam into the Asian plate with such force that it would trigger a massive earthquake across the entire plate. The stress at the northern end of the plate will be transmitted across the Indian mainland and Sri Lanka may also be affected by this stress transfer. This buildup of stress within the Sri Lankan landmass will also lead to instability and possibly lead to tremors, which would be facilitated by the many fractures and lineaments that cross Sri Lanka.
In general, new earthquakes and tsunamis in Sri Lanka cannot be ruled out. However, since 2004, Sri Lankans have indeed learned some hard lessons and are now better able to warn people of impending disaster, thanks to the National Disaster Management Center and the Bureau of Geological Surveys and Mines.