Tsunami in Thailand. Impossible Tsunami Relief Measures

Hi all! Vladimir Raichev is in touch. This Friday morning, I invite you to talk again about the history of disasters. One of the most terrible cataclysms of our century is the tsunami of 2004. December 26, 2004 is a truly fatal day for several countries of our planet at once. Today we will have to talk about what happened.

The most destructive volcanoes of the past, future and present.

According to scientists, the first earthquake occurred in the depths of the Indian Ocean, not far from the islands of Indonesia. The magnitude of the tremors was, according to various sources, from 8.0 to 9.3. This cataclysm was included in the list of the most powerful in the history of our planet. The shaking was stronger only in 1960 in Chile and in 1964 in Alaska. But the number of deaths in those years was insignificant, since the affected areas were not densely populated.

A large section of the earth's crust (the Indian Plate) that morning moved almost 1,500 km at once (although it usually moves no further than 7 cm annually). As a result of this, the Indian plate "drove" under the neighboring plate. With such a sharp movement, the ocean floor rose - this was the cause of that large-scale tsunami. Under extraordinary pressure, water rushed in all directions.

To understand how great the pressure released then was, it is enough to imagine that with all the energy received, more than 150 liters of water could be boiled for every person on our planet.

The force of the catastrophe was so great that it affected the speed of the Earth! Scientists have not yet been able to determine the exact figure, but it is believed that as a result of what happened, the duration of the Earth's day decreased by more than 2 microseconds.

It may seem like a trifle, but on a planetary scale, this figure is impressive. In addition, for a couple of minutes, the Earth "wobbled" around its orbit (this is a rare phenomenon).

Several Indonesian islands were literally moved from their place. The movement was not only horizontal: many coastal areas were flooded with water and remain under it to this day.

What was the tsunami like?

The waves formed gradually, only a couple of hours after the shock, the height of the crest was more than 60 cm. The water overtook the Indonesian coast islands, the Indian coast, Thailand, Sri Lanka and even South Africa (overcoming more than 8000 km).

The impact was terrifying. For comparison: the energy released by the strike was several times greater than the amount of energy obtained from the explosion of all ammunition during the Second World War (including the nuclear bombs that destroyed two cities in Japan). It is difficult for the human mind to even imagine such a thing.

The height of the water killer in some areas reached 20 meters. The water passed more than 2 km of the coast, sweeping away everything in its path.

How does all this affect people?

At the beginning of the 21st century, mankind has already managed to explore space, visit the moon, destroy several hundred species of animals and plants, invent cures for many diseases ... But they did not come up with a tsunami detection system.

On that day, people were completely unprepared for trouble, despite the fact that it took more than 7 hours to reach some countries! And in 7 hours it was possible to have time to evacuate almost the entire country. Surprisingly, most of the animals inhabiting the affected countries were saved by rising to the hills in time.

The last large-scale tsunami occurred more than half a century ago, without claiming many lives. Therefore, the world was not particularly familiar with the very concept of "tsunami". People have seen animals fleeing from the shore, as the water recedes, revealing the seabed.

According to surviving eyewitnesses, a suspicious silence hung in the air: the usual sound of the surf, the cries of birds were not heard. But all these oddities did not make people run away from the ocean, but only spurred curiosity. Whole crowds of onlookers roamed the shallow bottom, collecting discarded shells and fish.

Meanwhile, the tsunami was approaching, rushing at a speed of more than 100 km / h. The water was insidious: the crest of the wave was not the usual white color, so people saw the deadly wall only when it came too close.

Houses, hotels and the entire coastline as a whole were not able to withstand the impact of the elements: the walls crumbled like toys. Thus, the tsunami became even more deadly: not just tons of water rushed through the streets. It was a stream of dirt, debris, trees and cars. People were simply crushed by rubbish.

The wave has already hit the Aceh province (Indonesia), killing thousands of people, and on the beaches of Thailand, people were still basking in the sun. There was absolutely no warning system and no evacuation scheme.

The exact number of deaths is unknown. According to official figures - more than 225,000 people (for comparison: the population of Veliky Novgorod is 220,000 people). The calculations were complicated by the fact that people disappeared in whole settlements, streets, families. That is, no one could declare them missing, there was no one left at all who would remember them.

The authorities could rely only on the population census. Moreover, in Thailand, Somalia, India, there is a huge number of undocumented residents leading a semi-nomadic lifestyle. A third of all the dead and missing are children, because it was they who physically lacked the strength to save.

Thousands of people were swept into the open ocean. December is the peak tourist season in Thailand, so the tsunami claimed the lives of citizens of Europe and even Australia.

The situation was aggravated by the fact that search work had to be carried out as soon as possible, because when the water left, the corpses of people lay everywhere, decomposing in the terrible heat. All this could lead to the development of entire epidemics, so the authorities were in a hurry as best they could.

Those who miraculously survived the first wave made two mistakes. Mistakes that later turned out to be fatal:

One part was in a state of shock and was afraid to even move. People remained in their hiding places, not daring to leave. But after the first wave came the second. And then the third, which, in turn, "finished off" those who did not have time to escape;
Another part of the people, having waited out the first wave in the shelter, left it, rushing to the coastline. Someone was looking for his family and friends, someone wanted to see if there was something left of his home, and many rushed to help the victims. Repeated waves found those who managed to escape first.

Amid all this chaos, there were also stories of miraculous salvation. Those who seemed to have no chance managed to survive and start living anew:

The 8-year-old girl Vati was swept into the ocean by a stream of water. Relatives could not find her anywhere and had already come to terms with the loss, when one day, after as many as 7 years, an acquaintance brought home an already grown child. It turned out that somehow Vati was able to survive. She was washed ashore in a nearby town, a few kilometers from her home. From the shock experienced, the baby lost her memory. The only thing that eventually managed to remember is the name of her grandfather. The waiter from the local cafe was familiar with the girl's family and, after comparing two tragic stories, brought Vati to her family;

The American family went scuba diving with their coach. The most powerful wave hit directly over their heads, while the group went into the depths. All they had time to notice was that the water suddenly became cloudy. The coach gave the command to rise. Once on the surface, the divers found around them the corpses of people and the remains of buildings;

One of the eyewitnesses said that he saw how a big elephant helped the children: with his trunk he wrapped around their small bodies, put them on his back and carried them out of the whirlpool of water. And another victim swears that a real crocodile saved his life that day! Mr. Gunasekeru was literally carried out of the house by the water stream, but he did not lose his head and grabbed the nearest log. But it turned out not to be a log, but a crocodile. The man assures that the reptile did not show even a hint of aggression, allowing him to grab his tail and drag the man all the way to the shore.

What happened after the tsunami?

After mourning all the dead, humanity began to analyze the catastrophe that had occurred.

Thailand has joined the international tectonic activity tracking system. Special sensors have been created that can detect tremors even at great depths in the middle of the ocean.

Many countries have developed a public warning system and an evacuation scheme in case of danger. Colossal work was also carried out to inform the population: they taught the rules of conduct in case of earthquakes, tsunamis and other cataclysms. Now detailed instructions can be seen even on the door of any hotel.

The authorities have rebuilt new buildings that can withstand the force of the shock wave of the elements: powerful beams, reinforced concrete frames, a special angle of inclination.

Gradually, the cities were able to recover: houses were rebuilt, people returned. Even tourists, over time, were able to regain confidence in their favorite paradise beaches. Only the families of the victims still remember that fateful day for all mankind.

This is what happened in the Indian Ocean. It is unfortunate that they could not prevent it or at least minimize the losses. That's all for me, subscribe to blog news to get the latest news among the first. Share the article with your friends on social networks, I'm sure they will be interested in reading. Until we meet again, bye bye.

Many people are afraid to travel to Thailand because of the terrible natural phenomenon of the tsunami. Of course, this is dangerous, but is life in an ordinary city less dangerous? Car traffic, terrorism, criminals, etc. Still, if such a fear exists, one can choose an island by the sea, which is safe. In the east of Thailand, the islands are located in the Gulf of Thailand of the Pacific Ocean, which means that this is not an open ocean and a tsunami cannot be there.

These islands include:

(Pattaya) - (mainland, not an island)
(Ko Chang)
(Ko Kut),
(Koh Samui)
(Koh Phangan)
(Koh Thao).

The last tsunami in Thailand was on December 26, 2004. The large island of Phuket suffered from this phenomenon, and the islands adjacent to these, for example, the popular ones, Bamboo Island, James Bond Island, Chicken, and others. If the large island of Phuket and the province of Krabi were partially affected, i.e. locally, the small islands were not at all lucky. The wave was 10-15 meters high, so boats and fragments of houses were found on the mountains in the famous Phi Phi Ley Bay.

On the islands and in places that are prone to the threat of a tsunami, there are always signs indicating which direction to run in case of a tsunami.

Causes of the tsunami in Thailand

The tsunami in Thailand comes from large earthquakes in the Indian Ocean. Unfortunately, they do not always have time to inform people about it or are afraid to cause panic, or they treat people's lives irresponsibly. In 2004, Phuket had all the necessary radars and sensors that could capture a big wave, but for some reason no one made this information public, and more than 400 thousand people died! In the Indian Ocean itself, there was no warning system at that time, and it is quite possible that the existing sensors might not work.

During the tsunami in Phuket was the grandson of the King of Thailand, who also died. This can only mean that the Thai authorities themselves did not know about what was happening.

After this terrible disaster, the Thai authorities took people's safety seriously. Now there is an alert system in the Indian Ocean and it was necessary to check its operation in April 2012, when there were powerful tremors near Indonesia.

Then the beaches of Phuket were deserted instantly, a siren yelled, security did not let the beach pass, and they also evacuated people present on the beach and woke up the sleeping ones, warned and persuaded them to go to the mountains in every possible way.

Brief description of resorts with minimal tsunami threat

Pattaya- a tourist city filled with Russians. People come here, eager to get acquainted with the prostitution of Thailand, or rather with transvisitation. The sea is striking in its impurity and seething life. This resort is not for those who want to relax and not hear Russian speech throughout their vacation.

Koh Chang- a quiet, remote, romantic island, where with such pleasure you can separate from the whole world and just live for your own pleasure, reveling in the beauty of the island and the ocean.
Ko Kut- a paradise place, also not crowded, with a beautiful clear ocean and prankster monkeys.

Koh Samui- a large island, civilized, quiet and at the same time "boiling" with life. Every opportunity opens up here: entertainment, bars, cafes, nightlife, clear ocean and even a quiet life - depending on the choice of location on the island.

Koh Phangan- the island where the Full moon party is held. The island is located in such a way that at night on a full moon, it is as bright as during the day. Drinks are poured and mixed in buckets, dancing and fun on the ocean.

Koh Tao- this place is reminiscent of the adventures of Jacques-Yves Cousteau. How diverse is the underwater world! Round algae, corals, crabs, fish of different sizes and deep blue caustic water! This island is designed for tranquility, diving and snorkeling.

Going on a trip, you should learn not only about the beauties and attractions of the chosen place, but also about the possible dangers that may lie in wait for you there. For example, what do you know about tsunami in thailand?

In Southeast Asia, there is no safer country in terms of criminal situation than Thailand. But in terms of the danger of natural conditions, it is in the lead. There you can meet and, and. But all these dangers pale before what lurks in the depths of the oceans - the Pacific and Indian, whose waters wash the shores of the country. The tsunami in Thailand is considered one of the most likely natural disasters. They are rare, but even once is enough to startle at the mention of them for the rest of your life. The feature film "The Impossible" about the tsunami in Thailand makes a lasting impression on even the most thick-skinned people. The reality was even worse.

Origin of the tsunami

Tsunamis are waves generated by underwater earthquakes, volcanic eruptions or high power explosions. At great speed, they diverge in concentric circles from the site of a natural cataclysm, they are almost invisible in open waters and in great depths. However, when approaching shallow water, these waves begin to slow down and grow, supported by a mass of associated water. Their height can reach several tens of meters. The water mountain falls on the shore and washes away everything that is in its path.

Are there tsunamis in Thailand? All the islands located east and south of the coast of this country - Japanese, Philippine, Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, New Guinea and Solomon - are the western branch of the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire. These are volcanic faults with constant seismic activity, which is the root cause of the tsunami.

Several conditions are necessary for their formation. A place for acceleration and a sharp drop in depths in the direction of decrease are obligatory. They arise in places of the so-called wave focusing - narrow bays along the axis of the front movement, or in the presence of islands of different sizes, which provoke the occurrence of wave resonance and become sources of secondary oscillations.

In Thailand, such conditions are more consistent with the western coast of the Malay Peninsula (Andaman Sea). Therefore, a tsunami in Phuket is most likely. The Gulf of Thailand is wide and shallow over a long distance, which is why the seismic wave is extinguished.

Why is a tsunami more dangerous than a storm?

Storm waves tens of meters high are not uncommon on ocean coasts. And they are also capable of inflicting significant damage, but only in a limited area. Unlike tsunamis, the front of which can reach hundreds and thousands of kilometers - the farther from the epicenter, the more.

They also differ in energy saturation. The storm wave is generated by the wind, which captures only the surface layers. Therefore, the mass of the raised water is less than the one that pushes the tsunami in front of it, coming from the bottom. In addition, the speed of wave propagation also differs. For storms, it never exceeds 100 km / h, and a seismic shock accelerates them to 1000 km / h. Therefore, tsunamis have hundreds of times more kinetic energy, which develops into potential energy when slowing down in shallow water and in front of obstacles.

With more energy, seismic waves are able to penetrate much further inland, and only objects of similar mass - mountains, hills - can extinguish them. Everything else is swept away like trash off the table.

Hurricanes and storms are visible from space and are easy to warn about. A tsunami is like a light ripple, it is almost invisible. Therefore, her blow is almost always unexpected.

How to escape a tsunami

In most cases, a tsunami is generated by an earthquake whose epicenter is below the ocean floor. His strength is over seven on the Richter scale. She feels good. If you are in a dangerous area, you need to do the following:

Feeling an earthquake, do not wait for a warning. Gather things, documents, do not lose sight of your companions.
Try to get as far away from the coast as possible, and if this is not possible, then find a high place, preferably of natural origin - a hill, rock, mountain, and climb it.
If you are not familiar with the area, follow the notice boards indicating escape routes.
An unusually strong low tide - for several hundred meters or even kilometers, is the main sign of the approach of a seismic wave.
The first tsunami wave is not the most powerful. The second and third are much more dangerous. Therefore, do not leave a safe place until the water recedes completely. It usually takes up to 10 hours.

2004 Thailand tsunami

2004 Thailand tsunami was the result of a vertical seismic shift of the plates of the subcontinents in the area of the so-called Java Trench - this is the western coast of the island of Sumatra. The wave front moved in a wide arc from Banda Aceh to Jakarta towards the island of Sri Lanka. The consequences of the cataclysm were the death of about 300 thousand people in 14 countries (the tsunami reached India and Madagascar) along the shores of the Indian Ocean. The largest number of dead tourists in Thailand fell on, which received the shock of a wave that reflected from the northwestern tip of the island of Sumatra near the city of Banda Aceh (it was completely wiped off the face of the Earth).

Causes of mass deaths from the 2004 tsunami in Thailand

During the tsunami in Thailand in 2004, 8,500 people died. The main reason for the tragedy was that the authorities of the island did not assess the danger of a tsunami in Phuket and did not take any measures, even if there were clear signs of an impending disaster.

The time interval between subjectively perceptible shocks and the arrival of the wave was two hours - from eight to ten in the morning. Notification and evacuation of people were not undertaken.
Nobody knew anything. Even the natives went to collect fish and other marine life after the water left the coast for several hundred meters. Tourists took selfies until the last moment. These were the first deaths in the tsunami in Thailand.

Film "Impossible" about the tsunami in Thailand

The film "The Impossible" about the tsunami in Thailand was shot after 8 years. The basis of the plot is the misadventures of a young family that finds itself in the center of events. The director's drama was compelling. However, we believe that the artistic value of the painting is higher than the practical one. She can't teach anything. The film did not disclose the cause of the mass death of people, and only the authorities are to blame for this. Having received a warning from the seismic data analysis center, they did not take any measures to evacuate the population, although there was enough time for this. Perhaps they hoped for "maybe" and were afraid to once again escalate the situation in the country.

The film "The Impossible" leaves a feeling of hopelessness and powerlessness of man in front of the wrath of Nature. After watching, you may get the impression that it is better to stay at home. No attention has been paid to storylines that tell how the tragedy could have been prevented, as well as how to act correctly in such situations.

Measures taken after the tragedy

The Thai authorities, albeit belatedly, took steps to prevent such tragedies in the future. In the Andaman Sea, buoys have been installed that record high-speed water flows. All resorts and cities on the coast have a tsunami warning system, evacuation schemes and procedures for the authorities to ensure it have been developed. Everywhere there are sold out

At the peak of the season. Its cause is an underwater earthquake in the Indian Ocean. Until now, it is considered one of the most serious natural disasters in modern history and the third most powerful in the entire history of observation. Its power was 9.1 on the Richter scale.

The strength of the elements can be judged, if only because it backfired even in South Africa, where there were recorded waves of 1.5 m. All over the world, this event claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, according to various estimates, the number of victims of the tsunami in 2004 ranged from 200,000 up to 300,000 people.

Watch the video

The epicenter of the earthquake was located near the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The countries located directly next to it suffered the most: Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Malaysia and others. Waves 15 m high reached the coast of the states at different times - to Sumatra very quickly, to India - after 1.5 hours, and to Somalia - after 7 hours. The tsunami reached the mainland of Thailand 2 hours after the earthquake.

A large number of victims is explained by a poor warning and recognition system for the tsunami. The fact is that huge waves appear only near the coast, and in the ocean they are not very high. Animals that suddenly left all coastal areas and rushed to the mountains served as a good indicator. But a person in the process of evolution lost his intuition and connection with nature, and therefore rested as if nothing had happened.

Tsunami in Thailand in 2004

The tsunami in 2004 hit the western part of Thailand, which goes into the Andaman Sea, was badly damaged,. It is estimated that about 9,000 people died, with most of them being tourists, not the local population.

Outwardly, the tsunami in Thailand in 2004 looked like this: suddenly, the water began to move away from the coast into the sea for a very long distance, and after a few minutes everyone saw giant waves approaching the coast. There were 1-2 minutes left to save. Since the wave height reached 10-15 meters, many "undersized" hotels were flooded. However, we will omit the details so as not to recall the tragedy once again. Probably everyone has seen the news footage that has spread all over the world: mangled trees, cars, trains...

Tsunami in Phuket in 2004

The tsunami affected almost the entire western coast of Phuket, where the most -, and are located. The infrastructure was partially destroyed - hotels, restaurants, bars, clubs. Several hundred people are estimated to have died.

Despite the fact that the tsunami did not cause much damage, the infrastructure was restored very quickly. In fact, by 2006, nothing reminded of this tragic event.

Tsunami in 2012

The tsunami in 2012 is a failed tsunami and, in a sense, even a curious incident. Many don't even know what it was. But first things first.

All flights were urgently closed and canceled. This development did not bode well. The author of these lines was just hanging out in Phuket at that time. True, I did not live on the sea, but 15 km from it, in. And I saw with my own eyes how all the Thais, along with all their belongings, moved in cars and motorcycles to the hills. I also followed the general panic and went to. There was darkness for the people, it was just that the apple had nowhere to fall. Everyone turned their gaze to the sea, to the side. Despite the fact that it became almost dark, there was not a single light on the entire west coast of Phuket (usually it glows with millions of lights).

Everyone expected that the tsunami in 2012 would be the same as 8 years ago. Thank God it worked out. Actually, it was, but the curiosity lies in the fact that a wave 10 centimeters high “hit” the shore. Centimeters! I almost died of laughter when I heard this, because on normal days, waves of 20-25 cm are quite common on the beach.

Should I be afraid of the tsunami in Thailand in Phuket, Phi Phi and others

Having described all the horrors of the tsunami above, many will decide not to mess with Thailand and forever deprive themselves of the joy of relaxing in the resorts of the Andaman coast. We hasten to reassure you. Our answer is unequivocal - it's not worth it. The fact is that after the tragedy of 2004, the Thai government, together with American experts, installed a deep-sea system (the largest in the world) for the early detection of tsunamis. A loudspeaker system has also been installed on the coast, which notifies the population of the approaching elements in several languages. And all this happens a couple of hours before the alleged disaster. An evacuation system has already been developed that will quickly deliver people to safe areas, away from the sea.

You ask, what about such small islands as Phi Phi, where you don’t really get away from the coast. Again, our answer is don't worry. There are huge mountains, in comparison with which the wave height of 15 meters is simply dwarfed.

Chao Phraya or Mekong river. Of course, this is an unpleasant event, but not fatal.

Text: Alexander Ivanov
Photo: Vladimir Smolyakov

The ocean is never completely calm. Waves roll towards the shore in an endless series, reluctantly lick the beach and dissolve in the endless expanse of water. The even rustling of the waves and the incomparable smell of the sea – these are the factors that have had a philosophical and pacifying effect on a person from time immemorial... And when the FIRST WAVE appeared (it was only two times higher than the others), almost no one noticed it. Another two hours later, the SECOND WAVE came, flooding the beaches for fifty meters and washing away some things of the vacationers (which caused a playful commotion). And then the sea began to recede, exposing the bottom. Over the next two and a half hours, the coastline moved seven hundred meters deep into the ocean. An inquisitive, but apparently not very educated people wandered the shallows in joyful excitement, collecting shells and small fish. All this continued until the THIRD WAVE came...

The foreseeable history of mankind (we naively believe that we know almost everything about this period) has several millennia. By human standards, this is a lot, but by cosmic or geological - not even a moment. Take the dinosaurs, for example. According to rough estimates of scientists, these monsters died 65 million years ago! So, the human brain is simply not able to realize such an abyss of time. Human memory in general is surprisingly short, and our children perceive the monstrous cataclysms of the 20th century as something prehistoric. But the Second World War ended only 60 years ago, and witnesses are still alive ...

retrospective

The European layman was spoiled. All catastrophes and wars moved away in time or, at worst, in space. Well, tell me, who among the living today remembers the word "Krakatau"? Yes, almost no one. In general, we are all overwhelmingly sure that planetary comfort and tranquility will be enough for our age...

After the terrible disaster that befell South Asia, we begin to clearly understand: humanity in general and its specific representatives in particular are not insured against anything. Is the Indian and other oceans far away? Do you know that there are also faults in the Caspian Lake (in 1895, a wave caused by an earthquake in the Caspian completely flooded the coastal village of Uzun-Ada)? And, if it shakes harder under its serene surface, then not only Iran and Azerbaijan will be flooded, but also, for example, Astrakhan. It's getting closer, isn't it?

By the way, our brother journalist hastened to call the tsunami that swept across South Asia "the biggest disaster in the history of mankind." But this, to put it mildly, is not true. Do you know what the aforementioned Krakatau is? And this is just a small volcanic island in the same Indonesia. So, it smoked for centuries, smoked, sometimes erupted. And in 1883, Krakatoa exploded. The result is terrible - an ocean wave 20 meters high and 36,000 victims! Who remembers? And it hasn't even been a century and a half. That's what it is...

Or another kind of example. In 1931, the Yangtze River flooded. From floods, famine and epidemics, at least 3,000,000 people died (no, no, you were not mistaken in counting zeros, exactly three million)! No one moved: firstly, they are Chinese, and secondly, they are far away. But you can find mournful examples even closer... 1201, the Mediterranean Sea. The earthquake claimed more than a million souls in Syria and Egypt. But for the planet, 800 years is not a term, and geological processes under the Mediterranean continue.

The wave that hit the shores of Portugal, Spain and North Africa in 1775 killed more than 70,000 people. But these are, so to speak, our “internal” tsunamis, that is, tsunamis caused by the activity of our planet. And there are also "space" tsunamis caused by collisions with meteorites. So, a boulder about 10 kilometers across once landed in the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico), forming a funnel 30 kilometers deep. North America burned to the ground, and one can only guess about the height of the waves. A little (on a geological scale) later, the space block hit the Pacific Ocean closer to Antarctica. Here you can guess more specifically about the height of the wave. For example, according to the remains of living organisms thrown out by a tsunami to a height of several hundred meters (Andes). Can you imagine such a vibe? Me not. And I don't want to. But whatever one may say, it is still exotic. And the Earth is rare with space rocks. But "home" tsunamis happen dozens of times a year. So what is this phenomenon?

Modern science says that a tsunami is a special kind of wave of non-storm origin, most often caused by an underwater earthquake. The distance between the crest of a wave and a hollow in the open sea can be hundreds of kilometers, and the height is not more than a meter. For navigation, they are practically safe (a ship may simply not notice such a wave). But tsunamis in the open sea expend their energy quite slowly and can spread over very long distances. When the wave reaches shallow water, and even more so gets into narrowness (bay, gulf, harbor), it turns into that same monster - a wall of water up to several tens of meters high. Actually, “tsunami” is a Japanese word and means nothing more than “wave in the harbor”. The Japanese know what they are saying: they have water all around, and seismically active zones are "at hand" ... On June 15, 1896, in the Sanriku region, in the late afternoon, residents felt tremors. People lived by the sea and understood how it could turn out, so they rushed to the mountains. But since nothing happened, they returned after a while, and when they returned, they saw that the sea had receded from the coast ... It was too late to run, and seven 35-meter waves leveled three provinces (800 kilometers of coast). 27,000 victims. But note: the fishermen who were at that time at sea simply did not notice anything ...

third wave

And then December 26, 2004 came ... An earthquake (the strongest in forty years in this area) occurred under the waters of the Pacific Ocean along a fault line off the coast of the island of Sumatra and caused vertical (both up and down) displacements of the ocean floor. Its area was 1,200 kilometers long and about 100 kilometers wide.

The energy released at the same time was monstrous, but only one percent went to the formation of the actual waves. But even that was enough. Yes, in the open sea, the wave height did not exceed 60 centimeters, but at the same time, the water shaft had a speed of 800 kilometers per hour! And since the fault went approximately from north to south, the tsunami waves ran in a perpendicular direction - to the west and to the east. In the east were the island of Sumatra (Indonesia) and Thailand, in the west - India and Sri Lanka. These are the countries that suffered the most.

What do experts advise to do in the event of a tsunami? An earthquake is a natural signal of the possibility of a tsunami. Before the arrival of a wave, the water usually recedes far from the coast, exposing the seabed for hundreds of meters (and sometimes for several kilometers), and this low tide can last from minutes to hours. The very movement of the waves can be accompanied by thunderous sounds that are heard long before the approach of the tsunami (for example, it was in Japan in 1895). And yet, we are frankly distrustful of the “anti-wave” measures recommended by some experts, including such advice as climbing onto roofs and hiding under ... dining tables (this is not fiction, the author read this with his own eyes!) ...

A warning system is needed to warn people of danger. There is simply no such thing in the Indian Ocean yet. But in the Pacific, on the contrary, the international warning system has long existed, and, in particular, it includes the east coast of Thailand...

Today, the "wave" warning system is able to notify of danger in 3-14 hours. But since there are no wave sensors installed in the region (seismologists simply registered a strong earthquake), it was not possible to determine the direction of the tsunami. The only "wave" station south of the epicenter registered a tsunami less than two feet high moving towards Australia.

The waves also hit the beaches of resorts on the west coast of Thailand. Yes, Thailand is part of the international tsunami warning system, but there are no wave sensors on its western coast (they are installed on buoys in the ocean). The northern tip of the earthquake is localized near the Andaman Islands, and the waves went east, in the direction of the Thai resort of Phuket. It happened on Sunday morning, when people were just waking up. As a result of an earthquake of magnitude nine, water walls as high as a two-story house moved west across the Bay of Bengal and struck at the inhabitants of the coasts. A few hours after the earthquake, a series of strong shocks also occurred in Sumatra. The quake began on a fault line deep in the ocean off the coast of Sumatra before spreading north and south, reaching the Andaman and Nicobar Islands between India and Myanmar in the north, scientists say. Apparently, the seabed was deformed along the entire length of this fault.

And when the water is gone...

Even if we remember that exactly one year before the current disaster (December 26, 2003) the earthquake in the province of Kerman (Iran) claimed more than 40,000 human lives, all the same, what happened in the Indian Ocean basin is truly monstrous. 230,000 dead almost simultaneously - humanity has not encountered such a thing for a long time. But never from a tsunami. In that sense, it is truly the greatest disaster in history.

It was into this nightmare that the fighters of the airmobile rescue squad of the Russian Emergencies Ministry had to fly. I must say that people who have traveled all over the continents work in Tsentrospas. They were in Turkey and Taiwan, Colombia and India. But they didn't have to see it either. 12 hours after receiving the news of the disaster, the detachment was transferred by transport Il-76 to Sri Lanka to an airfield near the capital of the island of Colombo. The fighters of the detachment were ready to start rescue work immediately, but then the notorious "human factor" intervened. It's no secret that on our planet, in addition to natural factors, unfortunately, there are also political factors. And South Asia is not a piece of paradise at all (separatism blooms there in full bloom). So, in the Indonesian province of Aceh, rescue work was hampered by the actions of the rebels, demanding ... of course, independence. Moreover, they are difficult to such an extent that the authorities at first generally refused to let anyone in there. The same is true in Sri Lanka.

Since the civil war continues in the country, the Sri Lankan government could not guarantee the safety of our people. For this reason, our leadership, in turn, did not give permission to advance to the emergency zone, as a result of which only a few days later our rescuers were able to move to the north of the island in the direction of the cities of Lavinia and Moratura. In the north and northeast of the country, detachments of the so-called Tamil Eelam Liberation Tigers (LTTE) operate. And the authorities did not dare to let our rescuers into these territories for a long time. Well, when permission was finally received, the detachment moved further north in the direction of the city of Galle. On the way, I had to dismantle the destroyed roads, work on the rubble, cut concrete blocks. But since by this time there was practically no one to save, the main burden fell on the doctors. There were four of them, and each assisted about fifty victims a day. The danger of epidemics exists to this day - the heat is tropical, the humidity is almost 100%. Now the doctors of the detachment have been replaced by a mobile hospital of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

What about search dogs? "Our dogs are looking for the living," one of the people there told us. “Corpses are a shock to them.” And for us? Those who lost their homes were received by Buddhist monasteries and Catholic churches, and it was there that our doctors went on a specially equipped Land Rover Defender. At this time, two other "defs" with rescue crews were working in the destruction zone. They saw everything: swept away houses, washed ashore ships, and an overturned train, in which a thousand people died, and the ruins of a Sunday school, where 390 children remained ... But due to bureaucratic delays in actually saving people, the detachment practically did not accept participation. When the cars reached the wave passage zone, all the bodies had already been removed - it is not difficult to dismantle a village house. As a result, doctors were most in demand. The affected people also need food, water, medicine and blankets. All this needs to be bought, brought and distributed. So, we need people, cars, ships and planes. Under-Secretary General Jan Egeland of Norway is responsible for UN humanitarian operations. But as it turned out, his organization is so bureaucratic, works so slowly and inefficiently, that by definition it cannot cope with a task of this magnitude. Apparently, this is another reason why our guys spent some of the hottest days outside the disaster zone.

Forecast for the day after tomorrow

What can await us in the future? American scientists who constantly monitor seismic activity in the Pacific Ocean warn that geological activity is on the rise. And if an event similar to the current one, but with a different vector, happens, a significant area of California and other western US states may be in the flood zone. The Atlantic Ocean is also on the alert... Recently, a hypothesis has been put forward that during the explosion of a volcano located on the Canary Islands, a one-kilometer-high wave may arise! The end of old Europe? So, are we completely defenseless? Not really. A tsunami warning system exists in the Pacific Ocean. Now a decision has been made to create a similar service in the Indian Ocean.

Forewarned is forearmed.

And one moment. Countries such as Japan or Holland have accumulated vast experience in dealing with the water element. The system of dams, embankments and other engineering structures reliably protects them. So from a technological point of view, a lot can be done. The main thing is to do. And steps in this direction are already underway - an international conference is being prepared. Well, it is not possible to fight poverty together, let's try to fight against natural disasters. Perhaps it is precisely the understanding that it will not be possible to sit out that will make the governments and the inhabitants headed by them think a little about others. In the meantime, we just have to honor the memory of 230,000 dead.

P.S. We have probably become a little smarter if today “aircraft” with rescuers fly across the borders of states, ready to provide free assistance to everyone who needs it. And structures like the State Central Airmobile Rescue Squad of the EMERCOM of Russia are ready to leave at any moment to help people from another country and another continent.

In the Maldives, the consequences of the tsunami were more like traces of a sewer break.
Vitya Lyagushkin, journalist.

While in the Maldives, I traveled around five islands that were hit by the tsunami. The trip was organized by the Maldivian travel agency with the assistance of the Maldivian government, which is very concerned that their archipelago has been treated unfairly. The fact is that in order to restore the normal functioning of the region's economy, a constant influx of tourists is needed. In the end, everything turned into a kind of propaganda war. They showed footage from Phuket, but at the same time they talked about the Maldives, although the “post-wave” situation there is radically different. There were reports from Sri Lanka, they showed the coast of India, and in the comments they added "... and the Maldives."

A group of Russian journalists was assembled to demonstrate the real state of affairs. Indeed, there was no particular destruction in the Maldives. This is due primarily to the peculiarity of the structure of the atolls. The height of the atoll's trunk is about two thousand meters. The trunk rises with sheer walls to a depth of two hundred meters, and above are the islands, which are circular formations protruding above the surface of the water by a maximum of a meter. The result - the height of the tsunami wave in the Maldives was extremely insignificant. She just had nowhere to go!

How is the Maldives arranged? These are 26 large atolls, on the tops of which there are fifty to sixty islands. On the inner atolls from the side of the epicenter there was nothing at all. And on the "outer" islands, the following happened: from the hotel rooms (they were flooded), tourists were simply relocated to the inner islands. The fact is that at that time there were a lot of vacationers in the Maldives. And because of the flooded rooms, for some time tourists were accommodated in two families per room. On Paradise (the outer island of the outer atoll) there was a wave that went through the entire island, partially destroyed the bungalow and caused damage to household appliances. The wave caused panic - people put on life jackets, fins and masks (the Russians drank all the mini-bars under the guise). There were no dead. Also, during the day after the wave, mobile phones and the airport did not work (the runway turned out to be corny dirty). The mud was washed away and flights resumed. Then mobile communication was restored. Divers who were underwater during the wave did not feel anything at all. The only thing they paid attention to was the squeak of computers that reacted to a sharp drop in depth.

Tsunami.

A tsunami is not a single wave, but a series of moving ocean waves resulting from geological disturbances near or below the ocean floor. These waves are unstoppable and rush across the ocean like a whiplash, maintaining their strength for thousands of miles. Most tsunamis are caused by large earthquakes, but landslides, volcanic eruptions, and meteorite impacts can also be the cause. Waves are caused by geological forces moving water in an ocean basin. The stronger the earthquake, the more shifts in the earth's crust and the more water comes into motion.

Most often, tsunamis form in the Pacific Ocean. This is due to the fact that its pool is bordered by the "Ring of Fire" - a long chain of seismically active points on the Earth.

During a tsunami, waves usually propagate in directions opposite to seismic shocks. In the case of the earthquake near Sumatra, seismic waves moved along the ocean floor to the south and north, and the tsunami moved to the west and east.

A tsunami differs from the usual surf in its enormous length and speed. One such wave can reach 185 km in length and at the same time move across the ocean at a speed of about 1000 km/h. When it approaches the shore, its speed decreases sharply, and its height increases many times over. Some tsunamis resemble a tide in which the water does not stop rising and swallows the coast.

A few hours after an earthquake, the tsunami loses its strength due to friction with the ocean floor and simply because the waves "dissolve" into the vast surface of the ocean.

International Tsunami Warning System.

The International Tsunami Warning System was established in 1965 after a tsunami associated with a 9.2 magnitude earthquake hit Alaska in 1964. The system includes all the major states of the Pacific coast in North and South America and Asia, as well as the Pacific Islands, Australia and New Zealand. In addition, it includes France (under the sovereignty of which there are some islands) and Russia. The warning system analyzes earthquake information from several seismological centers (including the US Geological Survey). The information, in turn, is transmitted to computer programs that simulate the formation of a tsunami. The system transmits tsunami warnings, including a forecast of the speed of the waves and the estimated time when they will appear in certain geographic areas. As tsunami waves move through tide stations, information is updated and a tsunami warning is issued. Other programs create "flood maps" that include areas of destruction. But keep in mind that not all earthquakes cause tsunamis. The center does not normally issue warnings for earthquakes less than magnitude 7.