Tsunami 2004 remembered |27 December 2014

Yesterday the world commemorated the 10th year anniversary of the tsunami of 2004 that affected even Seychelles.

It all started with an earthquake. The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea mega thrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake. The resulting tsunami was given various names, including the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, South Asian tsunami, Indonesian tsunami, the Christmas tsunami and the Boxing Day tsunami.

The earthquake was caused when the Indian Plate was subducted by the Burma Plate and triggered a series of devastating tsunamis along the coasts of most landmasses bordering the Indian Ocean, killing 230,000 people in fourteen countries, and inundating coastal communities with waves up to 30 metres (100 ft) high. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history. Indonesia was the hardest-hit country, followed by Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand.
With a magnitude of 9.1–9.3, it is the third largest earthquake ever recorded on a seismograph. The earthquake had the longest duration of faulting ever observed, between 8.3 and 10 minutes. It caused the entire planet to vibrate as much as 1 centimetre (0.4 inches) and triggered other earthquakes as far away as Alaska. Its epicentre was between Simeulue and mainland Indonesia. The plight of the affected people and countries prompted a worldwide humanitarian response. In all, the worldwide community donated more than $14 billion (2004 US$) in humanitarian aid.

For Seychelles, along with other events, this prompted the creation of the Divisions of Risk and Disaster Management in 2006, the country realised that a national coordinating body needed to be put in place for such events. Much has been done in terms of infrastructure, district contingency plans, setting up protocols, acquiring necessary equipment and organising appropriate trainings for staff and partners. Much improvement needs to be made. Disaster management can be a complex issue and thus needs much information gathering, observation, assessments, planning preparation and prevention work and response and recovery planning and exercise practices.

Recently, in September 2014 DRDM organised a Tsunami simulation exercise in two consecutive days, testing the Regional Tsunami Service Providers of India, Indonesia and Australia’s flow of information for warning Seychelles via Seychelles Meteorological Office (METEO) through to the DRDM. The exercise also tested DRDM’s co-joined with METEO’s office Tsunami Standard Operating Procedure, and along with other partners tested the communication system, response strategies, and district evacuation plans within the District Contingency Plans, also equipment and staff of first responder agencies were also tested. From the two-day exercise testing at different times and at different levels on how Seychelles would take up a tsunami threat gaps were identified and many recommendations were made internally and externally whereby all partners see their roles better and is working towards more improvement to better prepare for early warning, mitigation, response and recovery measures preparation.

As the destruction of the 2004 tsunami is remembered, we are also conscious that much needs to be done and preparative participation of the general public as well as agencies will make a difference, as we all increase our understanding concerning tsunami and tsunami safety and enable ourselves to act appropriately and without panic if ever a tsunami comes in order to save lives.

The accompanying picture show theDRDM's tsunami simulation exercise in September and some of the effects of the tsunami when it hit Seychelles in 2004.



Country where

deaths occurred    Confirmed    Estimated1    Injured      Missing     Displaced

Indonesia         130,736      167,799           n/a     37,063       500,000+


Sri Lanka2        35,322       35,322          21,411     n/a          516,150


India             12,405       18,045          n/a      5,640       647,599


Thailand          5,3953       8,212          8,457       2,817       7,000


Somalia           78           289             n/a      n/a          5,000


Myanmar (Burma    61          400–600          45         200         3,200


Maldives         82           108             n/a      26          15,000+


Malaysia         68           75              299         6           5,000+


Tanzania         10           13             n/a      n/a           n/a

Seychelles       3            3              57           n/a           200


Bangladesh       2            2             n/a              n/a           n/a

South Africa    24           2             n/a              n/a           n/a

Yemen            2          2              n/a              n/a           n/a

Kenya            1          1               2             n/a           n/a

Madagascar      n/a       n/a              n/a              n/a          1,000+


Total    ~184,167    ~230,273    ~125,000    ~45,752    ~1.74 million