Giant Tidal Wave in Thailand.....

Grumman-581 wrote:

> "Joe English" wrote ...
>
>>Was Greg ging to that part of the world?
>
>
> Are you implying that it wasn't a tidal wave, it was just Greg falling into
> the ocean? <evil-grin>
>
>
Whoa, I never said that, interesting point, though!

In article <1104071277.339248.17670@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups. com>, Reef
Fish <Large_Nassau_Grouper@Yahoo.com> wrote:

€ KT wrote:
€ >
€ http://www.turkishpress.com/world/ne...8.eimrlc5x.xml
€ >
€ > Anyone knows how the situation is at Phuket, Kao Lak & Similan
€ Island?
€
€ Very sketchy but presumably all bad. The tsunamis were caused by
€ the strongest earthquate in 40 years (8.9 on the richter scale) and
€ the 5th largest recorded earthquake in history.
€
€ The local CNN breaking news (in Hong Kong) reported at least 1,700 dead
€
€ in Sri Lanka (as opposed to the 2,143 reported on the web), and that
€ the resort of Phuket and the Maldives was badly hit.
€
€ -- Bob.
€

ABC News is putting the death toll at over 10,000. The Straits Times
has it at 8,700:



STI Home > Latest > News > Print >> Back to the article

Dec 26, 2004
Thousands dead as massive quake, tidal waves hit Asia

COLOMBO (Sri Lanka) - The most powerful earthquake in 40 years
triggered massive tidal waves that slammed into coastlines across Asia
on Sunday, killing more than 8,700 people in Sri Lanka, Indonesia,
India, Thailand and Malaysia.

Tourists, fishermen, hotels, homes and cars were swept away by walls of
water unleashed by the 8.9-magnitude earthquake, centred off the west
coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, where at least 1,902 people
were killed by floods and collapsing buildings, officials said.

Initial damage centred on the Indonesian province of Aceh on northern
Sumatra. Dozens of buildings were destroyed, but as elsewhere, much of
the death toll appeared to come from onrushing floodwaters.

Towns nearest the epicentre were levelled by tidal waves, which killed
at least 1,902 people and left bodies wedged in trees as the waters
receded, Indonesian officials and witnesses said.

Communications were down in several coastal towns facing the epicentre
of the undersea quake off the western coast of Aceh, raising fears of
widespread and as yet unreported damage in the region.

But the scope of the disaster became apparent only after waves as high
as six metres crashed into coastal areas throughout the Indian Ocean
and Andaman Sea.

At least 10 powerful aftershocks were also reported in the province
after the initial quake struck, a seismologist said.

The US Geological Survey's website recorded the magnitude 8.9
earthquake off the west coast of Northern Sumatra, 1,620km north-west
of Jakarta. It was centred 40km below the seabed, the website reported.


The earthquake was the world's fifth most powerful since 1900 and the
strongest since a 9.2 temblor slammed Alaska in 1964, US earthquake
experts said.

The force of it shook unusually far afield, causing buildings to sway
hundreds of miles away, from Singapore to the city of Chiang Mai in
northern Thailand, and in Bangladesh, hours after the region's
Christian communities had finished Christmas celebrations.

A spokesman for Indonesian state-owned Garuda Airlines said Banda
Aceh's airport - located several kilometers from the sea - was flooded
and planes were unable to land there. The spokesman did not say how
deep the water was.

Electricity and telephone networks in parts of Banda Aceh were knocked
out and dozens of shops and buildings had either collapsed or were
damaged, witnesses told el-Shinta.

Residents in the Indonesian towns of Lhokseumawe and Banda Aceh
reported tidal waves had triggered flooding in coastal regions.

Rising water levels in inland rivers were also reported.

Tremors felt in Singapore
Some residents in Singapore felt light tremors from the Indonesian
quake.

'There were mild tremors in different parts of Singapore,' said a
spokesman from the National Environment Agency who declined to be
named. 'We felt it one minute after it started.'

Tourists killed in Phuket
Nearly 289 people were killed and more than 1,900 injured, with scores
missing in southern Thai resorts after the major earthquake caused
tidal waves and flooding, a government disaster centre said.

The Narenthorn Centre of the Public Health Ministry reported that some
people had been swept out to sea from a Phuket beach by tidal waves.
About 10,000 tourists were trapped on higher ground, while others were
stuck at sea in boats.

Some of the dead were local workers and at least four tourists died.
The victims were in Trang, Songkhla, Phuket, Krabi, Ranong, Phang Nga,
Satun and Surat Thani provinces, which draw thousands of visitors each
year because of their world-famous beaches.

In the midst of the Andaman Sea on Phi Phi island -- where The Beach
starring Leonardo DiCaprio was filmed -- 200 bungalows at two resorts
were swept out to sea, along with some of its staff and customers.

Watcharat Hospital in Phuket was full, with many foreigners coming from
hotels on popular Kamala and Patong beaches, said a hospital official
who declined to be named.

Several southern Thai resorts were flooded. On Phang-Nga island,
another popular tourist area near Phuket, people sought refuge from the
floods on rooftops. Cars were carried away by rising waters in
neighbouring Krabi, a spokesman from the ministry said.

Tidal waves hit Penang
At least 42 people died after they were swept away by tidal waves on a
Malaysian resort island and in other areas.

Many of the victims drowned while swimming or riding jet skis near
beaches on Penang island in northwestern Malaysia, Deputy Prime
Minister Najib Razak told a news conference. Others died on the
mainland states of Kedah and Perak.

At least 111 others received treatment for injuries, while dozens were
reported missing.

More than 1,000 homes across numerous fishing villages were destroyed
as waves roared into the coastline, leaving hundreds of families
homeless, disaster officials said.

'I have ordered precautionary measures to shift people to safer areas,'
Mr Najib said. 'It is possible there might be more tidal waves. We
should be ready if there is another round.'

Tidal waves as high as five metres hit Penang and several other
Malaysian islands following the 8.9-magnitude earthquake near
Indonesia's Sumatra island.

Officials received reports that some vessels capsized at sea, but there
was no immediate word of casualties outside Penang.

Thousands dead as tidal waves hit India, Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka -- some 1,600km west of the epicentre -- the death toll
stood at 4,500.

The Sri Lankan government called Sunday's events a national disaster
and appealed for emergency relief.

The deaths occurred in the north-eastern districts of Muttur and
Trincomalee, which were inundated by waves as high as 6m, said a Muttur
district official.

Elsewhere, flash floods shut the port in the capital, Colombo, and
displaced thousands of people in dozens of villages along the eastern
and southern coasts, police and witnesses said.

In India, a massive tidal wave slammed into several parts of southern
India, killing at least 2,000 people, most of them in Tamil Nadu state,
as thick walls of water swept away boats, homes and vehicles, officials
said.

The beaches of Tamil Nadu turned into virtual open air mortuaries as
bodies of fishermen lost at seat were washed ashore and others killed
inland were dumped on the sand by retreating waters. Streets of
Cuddalore town were flooded with sea water, and dozens of cars were
overturned and some were seen perched at awkward angles atop road
dividers.

At least 150 bodies were recovered from Cuddalore and its outlying
areas, and another 100 bodies were found on various beaches in Madras,
the capital of Tamil Nadu.

46 people were killed in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh's three districts,
including 32 in Krishna district, said police. They said the 32 people
including 15 children had gone into the sea for a Hindu religious bath
to mark the full moon day.

Two people were killed and 100 injured in Port Blair, the capital of
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a remote sparsely populated area in the
Bay of Bengal, about 1,500km east of Madras. The US Geological Survey
reported that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands also was hit by an
earthquake of 7.3 magnitude on Sunday.

Officials said at least 63 people were killed and more than 250
fishermen were missing from the southern states of Andhra Pradesh and
Tamil Naidu. Residents in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu spoke of
massive walls of water as high as 3.6m slamming into the shore.

Tidal waves hit Maldives
MALE (Maldives) -- The waves caused by the huge earthquake in Indonesia
hit the Maldives, injuring an Italian tourist and possibly causing the
death of a British man, officials and witnesses said.

Much of the Maldives, a string of 1,192 coral atolls off the
south-western coast of India, was inundated by floods after the
magnitude-8.9 earthquake off northern Indonesia unleashed tidal waves.

A British tourist at White Sand Beach resort in South Ari atoll died
from a heart attack possibly after seeing the huge wave heading toward
him, while an Italian tourist was seriously injured. Their identities
were not released.

Some 285 tourists were on the beach at the time.

In the capital, Male, waters approached the office of President Maumoon
Abdul Gayoom, and authorities closed the country's only international
airport.

Jetties and boat houses were destroyed at other resorts and homes
elsewhere in the island nation were flooded.

Buildings sway in neighbouring countries
The Charoenkrung Pracharat hospital in Bangkok evacuated hundreds of
patients from a 24-story building, moving some out on hospital beds
with oxygen tanks, a hospital official told Ruam Duay Chuay Kan radio
station.

Apartment building residents in Bangkok said they heard cracking noises
and felt rumbling and evacuated their buildings.

Residents of some high-rise apartments in Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia's
northern tourist island of Penang were briefly evacuated as a
precaution, condominium officials said. No immediate reports of damage
were known, but workers were checking some buildings to determine
whether there were cracks.

Kuwait sends US$1m aid
KUWAIT CITY -- The government of Kuwait said on Sunday that it was
sending US$1 million to the victims of the earthquake that hit
Indonesia and the tidal waves it caused in neighbouring countries.

The Cabinet said in a statement after its weekly meeting that the
donation was meant to help the victims deal with the aftermath of the
catastrophe. It did not specify when or to whom the aid would go. -- AP
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved. Privacy
Statement & Condition of Access.

To all who are concerned about the passengers, crew and staff of Ocean Rover
Dive Cruises. . At the time of the disaster the boat was, and continues to
be, in Myanmar Mergui Archipelago which was unaffected by the tidal waves.

Management is in continuous contact with the boat via satellite phone. The
office and office infrastructure is intact. Communications in Phuket are
very limited at this time. Updates will be posted if necessary.


"KT" <kt_91488044@yahoo.com.hk> wrote in message
news:cqmdg5$qvs2@imsp212.netvigator.com...
> http://www.turkishpress.com/world/ne...8.eimrlc5x.xml
>
> Anyone knows how the situation is at Phuket, Kao Lak & Similan Island?
>
>
>

"Reef Fish" <Large_Nassau_Grouper@Yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1104071277.339248.17670@f14g2000cwb.googlegro ups.com...
>
> KT wrote:
>>
> http://www.turkishpress.com/world/ne...8.eimrlc5x.xml
>>
>> Anyone knows how the situation is at Phuket, Kao Lak & Similan
> Island?
>
> Very sketchy but presumably all bad. The tsunamis were caused by
> the strongest earthquate in 40 years (8.9 on the richter scale) and
> the 5th largest recorded earthquake in history.
>
> The local CNN breaking news (in Hong Kong) reported at least 1,700 dead
>
> in Sri Lanka (as opposed to the 2,143 reported on the web), and that
> the resort of Phuket and the Maldives was badly hit.
>
> -- Bob.
>
Very sad indeed. I just read this:

Paradise destroyed

Thai authorities say more than 200 are feared dead, and hundreds are missing
after the massive waves swept through coastal areas, including Krabi and the
popular resort islands of Phuket and Phi Phi.

One witness said Phuket's famed Laguna Beach resort area is "completely
gone." The area provides 40 percent of Thailand's $10 billion annual tourist
income.

Among the missing were a number of scuba divers exploring the Emerald Cave
off Phuket's coast. Officials say the final toll in Thailand may be closer
to 1,000.

Buck

Alan Street <agstreet@nonono_san.rr.com> wrote:
>Tidal waves as high as five metres hit Penang and several other
>Malaysian islands following the 8.9-magnitude earthquake near
>Indonesia's Sumatra island.

So what's a 5-6m tsunami wave like compared to a regular one? And is it
a one shot deal, or does it come in a set?

For one of the largest earthquakes ever, I guess I thought it would be much bigger.
--
Jason O'Rourke www.jor.com

In article <cqnm9a$1nth$1@agate.berkeley.edu>,
Jason O'Rourke <jor@soda.csua.berkeley.edu> wrote:
>
>
>Alan Street <agstreet@nonono_san.rr.com> wrote:
>>Tidal waves as high as five metres hit Penang and several other
>>Malaysian islands following the 8.9-magnitude earthquake near
>>Indonesia's Sumatra island.
>
>So what's a 5-6m tsunami wave like compared to a regular one? And is it
>a one shot deal, or does it come in a set?
>
>For one of the largest earthquakes ever, I guess I thought it would be
>much bigger.
>--
>Jason O'Rourke www.jor.com

The problem is not really the height - its that they can be 100 miles WIDE.

A 20' wave isn't a big deal. One that's 100 miles wide is, because it
basically raises the tidal level by 20' until it passes - which puts
many coastal areas completely underwater.

--
--
Karl Denninger (karl@denninger.net) Internet Consultant & Kids Rights Activist
http://www.denninger.net My home on the net - links to everything I do!
http://scubaforum.org Your UNCENSORED place to talk about DIVING!
http://www.spamcuda.net SPAM FREE mailboxes - FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME!
http://genesis3.blogspot.com Musings Of A Sentient Mind

Karl Denninger wrote:
> In article <cqnm9a$1nth$1@agate.berkeley.edu>,
> Jason O'Rourke <jor@soda.csua.berkeley.edu> wrote:
>
>>
>>Alan Street <agstreet@nonono_san.rr.com> wrote:
>>
>>>Tidal waves as high as five metres hit Penang and several other
>>>Malaysian islands following the 8.9-magnitude earthquake near
>>>Indonesia's Sumatra island.
>>
>>So what's a 5-6m tsunami wave like compared to a regular one? And is it
>>a one shot deal, or does it come in a set?
>>
>>For one of the largest earthquakes ever, I guess I thought it would be
>>much bigger.
>>--
>>Jason O'Rourke www.jor.com
>
>
> The problem is not really the height - its that they can be 100 miles WIDE.
>
> A 20' wave isn't a big deal. One that's 100 miles wide is, because it
> basically raises the tidal level by 20' until it passes - which puts
> many coastal areas completely underwater.
>
> --

http://aebrain.blogspot.com/2004/12/...at-indian.html



--

The constitution promises freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM
religion. Think about it, It ain't that hard to figure out. If your
religion is none, then deal with it.

I strongly urge everyone reading this to check out WWW.anysoldier.us,
and support our troops with a letter, a package or a donation.

In article <cqnm9a$1nth$1@agate.berkeley.edu>, Jason O'Rourke
<jor@soda.csua.berkeley.edu> wrote:

€ Alan Street <agstreet@nonono_san.rr.com> wrote:
€ >Tidal waves as high as five metres hit Penang and several other
€ >Malaysian islands following the 8.9-magnitude earthquake near
€ >Indonesia's Sumatra island.
€
€ So what's a 5-6m tsunami wave like compared to a regular one? And is it
€ a one shot deal, or does it come in a set?
€
€ For one of the largest earthquakes ever, I guess I thought it would be much bigger.

Large is relative. A 20' wave still isn't trivial.


----------------

"The strongest tsunami in known history was produced by the eruption
of the Krakatau of the Sunda Island group in 1883. It reached a wave
height of 35*m and claimed 36,830 lives. Four tsunamis with heights in
excess of 30*m have been documented in the Pacific Ocean since 684 A.D.
A strong tsunami in the Atlantic Ocean was observed in 1755 after an
earthquake near Lisbon (Portugal).

In the vicinity of the epicentre of an earthquake, tsunamis can result
in extreme wave heights. Once they reach the open ocean and travel
through deep water tsunamis have extremely small amplitudes but travel
fast, in 4000*m water depth at about 700*km/h. (This speed can be
estimated by using the wave speed equation given above: We have g = 9.8
m s-1, h = 4000 m, so (9.8 x 4000)1/2= 200 ms-1= 700 km/h.) On
approaching a coast they build up wave height again through shoaling.
The period of tsunamis is in the range 10-60 minutes. Figure 10.1 shows
a record of a tsunami from an Alaskan earthquake recorded in Hawaii."

http://www.es.flinders.edu.au/~matto...lecture10.html



Here are a couple of other references:


http://www.fluidmech.net/tutorials/ocean/tsunami.htm


http://www.pdc.org/tsunami-characteristics.php

"KT" <kt_91488044@yahoo.com.hk> wrote in message
news:cqmdg5$qvs2@imsp212.netvigator.com...
> http://www.turkishpress.com/world/ne...8.eimrlc5x.xml
> Anyone knows how the situation is at Phuket, Kao Lak & Similan Island?


According to the Phuket Gazette,
http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/in...=2004122713520 there are 122
dead and 350 missing.

Those numbers will probably grow as time goes by.

Ian

"Alan Street" <agstreet@nonono_san.rr.com> wrote in message
news:261220041903353135%agstreet@nonono_san.rr.com ...
> In article <cqnm9a$1nth$1@agate.berkeley.edu>, Jason O'Rourke
> <jor@soda.csua.berkeley.edu> wrote:
>
> ? Alan Street <agstreet@nonono_san.rr.com> wrote:
> ? >Tidal waves as high as five metres hit Penang and several other
> ? >Malaysian islands following the 8.9-magnitude earthquake near
> ? >Indonesia's Sumatra island.
> ?
> ? So what's a 5-6m tsunami wave like compared to a regular one? And is it
> ? a one shot deal, or does it come in a set?
> ?
> ? For one of the largest earthquakes ever, I guess I thought it would be
> much bigger.
>
> Large is relative. A 20' wave still isn't trivial.
>
To say the least, Alan. I do not know the physics of wave energy, but I
remember reading that a 4' wave on one mile of coast generates 35,000 hp of
energy. I'm sure that is logarithmic with a 20' wave.

Buck