20 years after the Indian Ocean tsunami: a look at the deadliest disaster in modern history

On December 26, 2004, a 9.2-magnitude earthquake shook Southeast Asia, triggering the worst tsunami in recorded history. According to UN estimates, more than 220,000 people were killed, and severe damage was reported in 15 countries.

It has now been twenty years since a devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami devastated communities in Southeast Asia, killing more than 220,000 people and displacing millions in the wake of this historic event.

On the morning of December 26, 2004, a 9.2-magnitude earthquake shook the seafloor off Indonesia, sending a 100-foot wall of water toward communities surrounding the Indian Ocean.

Countries such as Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand were the most affected, as entire villages collapsed and were swept away by water.

Survivors faced isolation and illness as initial rescue and relief efforts were weakened by the massive scale of the disaster.

At the time, US President George W. Bush indicated that the scale of the losses was beyond comprehension, and some governments were accused of delaying emergency response.

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Banda Aceh, Indonesia: (FILES) An aerial file photo shows a coastal area in Banda Aceh, on January 5, 2005, two weeks after a powerful tsunami hit the area on December 26, 2004, following an underwater earthquake, that left 228,429 people dead or missing. Sri Lankan authorities issued a tsunami warning calling for the evacuation of coastal areas, following an 8.2 magnitude earthquake off the Indonesian island of Sumatra on March 28, 2005. (CHOO YOUN-KONG/AFP via Getty Images)

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Nias, Indonesia – December 29: Houses were destroyed in Serumbu village on December 29, 2004 in Nias, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Tens of thousands of people were killed on the northern Indonesian island of Sumatra after a massive undersea earthquake triggered a tsunami on December 26, 2004. (Photo by Getty Images)

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BANDA ACEH, INDONESIA – JANUARY 6: Elephants drag debris on January 6, 2005 to clear the area devastated by the tsunami in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Aceh province, one of the areas hardest hit by the 9.0-magnitude earthquake, lost more than 50,000 people. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

In the years following the disaster, the international community raised more than $13 billion in donations, making it the largest humanitarian response to any natural disaster.

Researchers who have studied the area and visited areas affected by the Boxing Day tsunami say signs of the disaster are still visible decades later.

Experts have noted that the affected areas remain economically underdeveloped compared to areas not affected by the waves, and many survivors still suffer from post-traumatic stress.

Map of the 2004 earthquake

The fault that triggered a 7.0 magnitude earthquake off California is not known to produce large tsunamis

What caused the earthquake and could it happen again?

According to the US Geological Survey, the historic earthquake was caused by the subduction of the Indo-Australian tectonic plate under the Eurasian plate.

The area, known as the Sunda Trench, is highly seismic and has produced several earthquakes exceeding magnitude 7.0 since 2004.

Statistically, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake along a fault occurs only once every several hundred years to more than 1,000 years; However, seismologists warn that the interval between these events can be highly erratic.

The National Earthquake Information Center estimates that about 12,000 to 14,000 earthquakes occur each year around the world, but only a small minority are felt by humans on the surface.

Earthquakes of magnitude 8.0 or greater are considered “superquakes” and occur only once every two years along thousands of fault lines around the world.

What is a tsunami?

Is the region more prepared to face a tsunami?

In the wake of the 2004 disaster, millions of dollars were spent upgrading and establishing tsunami warning systems that were not widely available before the event.

Buoys have been deployed to detect changes in sea level, sirens have been installed in some coastal areas for evacuations, and education is now part of the preparedness curriculum.

One of the many systems deployed is known as the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System (IOTWS), which became fully operational in 2011.

Kuta Beach, Indonesia – December 26: Indonesia Tsunami Early Warning System receiver, December 26, 2006 at Kuta Beach, resort island of Bali, Indonesia. (Photo by Dimas Ardian/Getty Images)

(Photo by Dimas Ardian/Getty Images/Getty Images)

Despite the investments, the United Nations acknowledges that there are still large areas of the world's coastline that may not be prepared for a similar devastating event.

The organization's Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development aims to make 100% of communities at risk tsunami ready by 2030.

“Disasters can strike at any time. Always stay alert by being aware of your surroundings, understanding potential hazards, recognizing natural warning signs, and knowing ways to evacuate to a safe place. You must stay strong,” Syarifah Narges, survivor The disaster. 2004 tsunami, recently shared with UNESCO.

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