00:00It's 9.59 a.m. when a man is jolted awake in his bed by a powerful mysterious force.
00:07While he's trying to figure out what's going on, a giant 100-foot-tall column of
00:12water is already surging toward his hometown.
00:15In 20 minutes, most of his friends and family members will lose their lives when a sky-high
00:21wall of water sweeps away buildings, trees, and cars.
00:25And it can happen to you at any given time.
00:29It's the day after Christmas in 2004.
00:32Thousands of tourists from Europe and America are enjoying tropical beaches in Thailand,
00:37Sri Lanka, and Indonesia when a powerful undersea earthquake strikes off the western coast of
00:43northern Sumatra, Indonesia.
00:45It's a 9.3-magnitude earthquake, the most powerful ever recorded in Asia.
00:51It triggers one of the largest tsunamis in history, the Boxing Day Tsunami, which will
00:56take the lives of 230,000 people within a few hours.
01:01The city of Banda Aceh in Sumatra, Indonesia, home to 260,000 people, is the closest to
01:08the earthquake's epicenter.
01:10In less than half an hour after the quake, huge 10-story-tall waves crash into the city.
01:16More than 60,000 people lose their lives immediately.
01:20The destruction is so severe that almost no one in its path survives.
01:25Next, the tsunami hits Thailand.
01:27The waves, rushing at a mind-boggling 500 mph across the Indian Ocean, reach the shores
01:34of Phang Nang and Phuket about 90 minutes later.
01:37Despite such a significant time gap, both locals and tourists are caught totally off-guard.
01:43Many beachgoers even walk out onto the beach, curious about the strangely receding sea,
01:49only to be overtaken by a towering wall of water.
01:53Only 5,400 people, including 2,000 foreign tourists, won't survive that day in Thailand.
02:00An hour after Thailand, the tsunami hits southeastern India, near Chennai.
02:05Debris-filled waves push miles inland, taking the lives of more than 10,000 people.
02:11Sri Lanka faces even worse devastation.
02:14The island will lose over 30,000 people, and hundreds of thousands will become homeless.
02:20The tsunami's incredible strength is evident even far away.
02:24Eight hours later, it claims its last victims in South Africa, 5,000 miles from the quake's
02:30epicenter.
02:31There, rogue waves catch swimmers off-guard.
02:35Researchers from NOAA's Center for Tsunami Research explain that the destruction was
02:38due to the sheer power of the earthquake.
02:41It originated from a megathrust fault.
02:43That's where heavy ocean plates dive beneath lighter continental plates.
02:48These faults are the largest in the world, and lie underwater.
02:52The 2004 earthquake ruptured a 900-mile stretch of the Indian and Australian plates, 31 miles
02:59beneath the seafloor.
03:00Plus, instead of one quick jolt, the quake lasted for 10 minutes and released an unimaginable
03:07amount of energy.
03:08During the shaking, massive sections of the seafloor moved upwards by 130 feet.
03:14That's a lot.
03:16Such a sudden movement set colossal waves rippling across the ocean.
03:20Imagine it like dropping a massive pebble into the water.
03:23The thing is, tsunami waves aren't like those surfing waves you may imagine.
03:27No, they look like a fast-moving, whitewater river that floods everything in its way.
03:33If you get caught in those raging waters, it's almost impossible to survive.
03:38If the powerful currents don't pull you under, floating debris will.
03:42That's the reason why, during earthquakes, there are usually many injuries and fewer
03:46lives lost.
03:48With tsunamis, it's the opposite.
03:50There's way fewer injuries than fatalities because it's too hard to survive.
03:56Catastrophic tsunamis like the one in 2004 are rare.
04:00That's why India and Sri Lanka had no record of such disasters.
04:05This lack of experience, combined with the absence of warning systems, made the consequences
04:10of the disaster even more tragic.
04:13People didn't feel the earthquake because they were far from the epicenter.
04:17And with no natural warning signs, no official alerts, and no history of tsunamis, the waves
04:23that hit crowded coastlines had devastating effects.
04:28By the way, the Pacific Ocean, the largest ocean on Earth, is where most earthquakes
04:33and tsunamis occur.
04:35Only damaging tsunamis strike somewhere in this ocean about once every 1-2 years.
04:4076% of the recorded fatal tsunamis happened in the Pacific.
04:45And 99% of tsunami casualties are caused by local or regional tsunamis, which occur more
04:51often and hit quickly.
04:55But then a question arises.
04:57Could a tsunami as devastating as the Boxing Day one happen again?
05:02Unfortunately, the answer isn't very straightforward.
05:05A warning system has indeed been established in the Indian Ocean.
05:09Its goal is to alert coastal nations of potential tsunamis.
05:13But human behavior is still a critical challenge.
05:16This became clear during a real-life test in 2012.
05:21That's when many residents of Banda Aja, Indonesia, simply ignored evacuation towers
05:26after a tsunami warning.
05:28People never seem to learn, huh?
05:31The Indian Ocean Warning Network uses undersea pressure sensors placed near tectonic plate
05:36fault lines.
05:38These sensors detect any changes and transmit data to surface buoys, which then send it
05:43via satellite to control centers on land.
05:46Authorities analyze the information and decide whether to issue warnings and evacuate at-risk
05:51areas.
05:53Aceh, located on one of the world's most active fault lines, implemented additional
05:58safeguards.
06:00They installed sirens in coastal cities, and people get alerts on their cell phones.
06:04Plus, there are evacuation towers – reinforced concrete structures capable of holding 500
06:10people.
06:11They are special safe zones.
06:14Authorities did test how well-prepared people were.
06:17In 2009, 18 Indian Ocean countries participated in an evacuation drill, simulating a large
06:24earthquake.
06:25Thousands of coastal communities took part in this drill, and officials concluded that
06:30the exercise had been a success.
06:33Fast forward to the system's first real test in April 2012.
06:38An 8.6-magnitude undersea earthquake west of Aceh triggered tsunami warnings.
06:44And even though there were no significant waves, the whole situation revealed critical
06:49flaws.
06:50Many residents ignored evacuation towers, choosing instead to flee by car or motorbike.
06:56This led to citywide traffic jams, with people getting stranded in areas vulnerable to a
07:00potential tsunami.
07:02It was chaos.
07:04Some residents even went back to the beach to look for the signs of a tsunami, which
07:08is a life-threatening mistake.
07:10So apparently, there is still a lot of work to do when it comes to tsunami survival.
07:16But what you need to know by heart is the signs of an impending tsunami.
07:21First of all, it's severe ground shaking.
07:23Strong earthquakes near coastal areas can generate tsunamis.
07:27If you notice that water on the beach starts to recede at an alarming rate, exposing the
07:32ocean floor, reefs, and stranded fish, run.
07:37Then there might be unusual ocean sounds.
07:39Keep in mind that a loud roaring noise, resembling a train or jet engine, may accompany an approaching
07:45tsunami.
07:47If you notice any of these warning signs, do not wait for official evacuation orders.
07:52Leave low-lying coastal areas immediately and move to higher ground as fast as possible.
07:58If you're at home, make sure your family members know about the tsunami and follow
08:02official guidance.
08:04You should remember that locally generated tsunamis may strike within minutes.
08:08You have to act quickly.
08:10If it's a distant tsunami, you may have more time to evacuate.
08:14If you don't have an opportunity to move inland, hide in high-reinforced concrete buildings.
08:20Avoid staying in small buildings or homes in low-lying areas.
08:24If you're on a boat, stay offshore.
08:27Tsunami activity isn't as dangerous in deep water, so avoid returning to port during a
08:32tsunami warning.
08:33If you're already in port, check with harbor authorities for guidance.
08:38If it's possible to move to deep water, do it in an orderly manner.
08:42It may be safer for small boat owners to leave their vessel and move to higher ground.
08:47And always, always prioritize moving to higher ground over saving your belongings.
08:53If you live in a coastal area, you can take some measures to protect your property in
08:57advance.
08:59Since most tsunami waves are under 10 feet, you may consider elevating your house.
09:04It can reduce damage.
09:06You can also consult an engineer to assess and reinforce your home.
09:10And finally, don't forget to protect outbuildings too, and create fences that will allow animals
09:16to reach higher ground.
09:18That's it for today!
09:22So hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and share it with your
09:26friends!
09:27Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the Bright Side!
Comments