Tsunami hits home

[svero]

Well no doubt you've heard about the earth quake in Sumatra. The tidal waves caused by it hit many parts of asia including the beach near where Im staying. Power was out, the beach road is a wreck, and there was lots of commotion. The beach is all blocked off by police fearing another wave. Chances are there might be another within 24hrs I've been told. Word on the street is that several hundred people are dead and that nearby islands were hit pretty badly.

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/12/26/asia.quake/

[chanon]

Hi svero, was just about to post to ask if you're ok.

Good thing you didn't stay on Phuket or Phi Phi .. or worse scheduled a diving trip for today.

They say the whole Maldives islands is underwater now.

Heres pics of Phuket
http://www.manager.co.th/Home/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9470000102281

[svero]

I nearly did go diving today too. I was planning a trip soon. Im about 1hr by boat from phi phi. I'm not really sure that the waves were worse there than here. Often the power goes out here for road construction and stuff.. and usually when its out i head to the beach. I was talking to a guy up the road asking when the power would be back (thinking it was one of these scheduled outages) and saying maybe I'd go to the beach, when some tourist lady overhead me and told me not to go to the beach. That the beach was destroyed. I thought she was crazy. But sure nuff.. its a real mess!

[Armsfeld]

Yeech, that's harsh. I hope the damage doesn't get too bad.

[chanon]

I read in the news that hundreds of Krabi to Phi Phi boat passengers are floating in the water waiting for help now. ... What a sad experience for those tourists.

[svero]

I read in the news that hundreds of Krabi to Phi Phi boat passengers are floating in the water waiting for help now. ... What a sad experience for those tourists.

Ohhhh I donno. Not every-day you get an exciting story like that to tell. So long as someone you know isn't badly injured or killed of course.

There's a boat called the princess which does the krabi to phi phi express route. I believe it was broken and sunk.

Hard to say really what's all happening. You hear so many things. It will take a while for the details to hash out.

[yanuart]

where r u at svero ? well.. right now I live in Indonesia on java.. I saw the news this morning about a quake in Medan (a city in sumatra) but I never realized the damage was that big !!!

for me.. it's pretty calm here.. i hope ur ok, damn.. come to think of it, this holiday i was planning to make a diving trip on Sumatra or Bunaken :eek: .. OMG.. natural disasters r the worst !!

[svero]

Right now Im in Krabi Thailand. Leaving for Kuala Lumpur in early jan. Then who knows... prob back to thailand. Next month I thinking Japan or Macau or China or possibly even indonesia. I get around ;-)

[chanon]

Latest update on CNN ... Very Scary!
http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/12/26/asia.quake/index.html

It's just unbelievable that tidal waves can kill that many people!

[Jason Chong]

This is crazy, first time such calamity hits our shores!

We have 41 people dead so far in Penang, Malaysia.

It has NEVER happened before.


This is Malaysia's FIRST history of fatalities from Earthquake from it's neighbours.

[Anthony Flack]

It's just unbelievable that tidal waves can kill that many people!


The Krakatoa eruption of 1883 caused tsunamis that killed around 37,000 people.

[svero]

The Krakatoa eruption of 1883 caused tsunamis that killed around 37,000 people.

Sure but in the 1800's people weren't very good swimmers.

Latest article I read had the death count above 6k... and climbing... (most articles are at a conservative 3k)

[ggambett]

Glad to hear you're OK, Steve. As soon as I read about the tsunamis in south east asia I thought of you! (I admit I don't know many other people from there...)

[svero]

The funny thing about it is that if you don't happen to be at the beach when it happens it's pretty much a non-event. It's worse on small islands I guess, but this is the mainland here so it managed to make it's way quite far off the regular shore, but still not so far that it would come near where I'm staying. I imagine though if it just happened to be one of many days I decided to go for a swim, or buy some breakfast on the beach, or go diving, I could have been nailed. Just pure luck of the draw. Carpe Diem Folks! You never know!

[Jack Norton]

Well luckily you're ok :eek:

Anyway, never seen so many climatic disaster in one single year... and now the experts can't say that "it's just normal"... the politicians, the governments need to start taking measures, and quickly... or our sons won't be living in a good place.

my 2 cents...

[Raptisoft]

Erm, Jack, what do you think we should do to prevent earthquakes? Cut emissions?

I think we're seeing "more" disasters just because we can now. We have cameras everywhere, news programs ready to gobble it up, and a huge salivating audience waiting to hear the new death tolls. I doubt there's more going on than there ever was.

[Gmicek]

By not recycling soda cans you're helping cause earthquakes.

[svero]

It's well known that the primary cause of rising earthquake tolls is the banning of certain pesticides to protect butterflies, but which were used to kill earth boring worms which loosen up all the rock. At least that's what the pesticide companies have in their news releases.

[Jack Norton]

Erm, Jack, what do you think we should do to prevent earthquakes? Cut emissions?

That would be a starting :)
I don't know exactly, is a complex problem, but surely all this pollution doesn't help the planet and its inhabitants (humans, animals, etc). Of this I'm sure...!
And I live in the middle of red spot (you remember my post?) so trust me! :D

[nquijano]

Glad to hear you're allright Steve. Was wondering if you were here for the holidays, or over there :)
Bonne Année, et meilleurs voeux d'Indiedom !!

[svero]

The Krakatoa eruption of 1883 caused tsunamis that killed around 37,000 people.

Latest death toll I read says 44,000 people dead now! That's unbelievable.

[chanon]

Latest death count on BBC is more than 50,000!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4129371.stm

CONFIRMED DEATH TOLL
Sri Lanka: 18,706 dead
Indonesia: 27,174 dead
India: 4,371 dead
Thailand: 1,400 dead
Maldives: 52 dead
Malaysia: 44 dead
Burma: 30 dead
Bangladesh: 2 dead
Somalia: 100 dead
Kenya: 1 dead
Seychelles: 3 dead
Tanzania: 10 dead


This is a very large scale disaster. A lot larger than the first impressions.

Now disease outbreaks occurring from the dead bodies is feared.

Please do your part to help:

Donate Here:
http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/12/27/quake.aidsites/index.html

[yanuart]

yeah.. the large deathtoll is mostly because near the coastline there always be a fishermen villages or city. Tsunami hits so bad not by its force but by the size of how much the wave can reach shore.

I've read n seen news and photos, the waves can struck up till 3 miles from the coastline, imagine how many square miles it covered, it's like that cartoon act where you're inside a room and open the door and suddenly water comes all over you but of course this is not supposed to be funny at all.

it's bad.. :(

[Siebharinn]

There are some home movies (http://www.nbc10.com/news/4026938/detail.html) that were shot by locals as the waves came in. Hollywood got it all wrong. As usual.

[Greg Squire]

Whoa! I've really had my head in the sand these past few days (Christmas Vacation). Glad to hear you're okay Steve. It's amazing what Mother Nature can do. Sure makes one grateful to be alive.