Indonesia Tsunami 2004 - Destruction of Aceh

In the last episode we explained the anatomy of the earthquake of December 26,

2004

that caused the creation of a devastating

tsunami

wave that immediately began to spread in all directions but especially in the west east direction the country closest to the epicenter was Indonesia or rather its northwest island of sumatra where the province of asek with a distance of only 160 kilometers from the side of the tremor the wave traveled the first 120 kilometers towards

indonesia

in just 10 minutes welcome to the following video on the toptopics channel a series of videos In the

tsunami

of the Indian Ocean

2004

, spread into the depths of the ocean as a discrete wave crest with a height of a few meters at a speed of about 800 kilometers per hour, approximately 40 kilometers from the coast, the coastal shelf began to rise and the wave began to rub more. forcefully against the everting bottom this caused its considerable deceleration but also its hate game gradually a wall of water approximately 30 meters high and 200 kilometers wide was formed as it continued to approach the shore the wave reached the shores of asic approximately 20 minutes after the earthquake the most devastating impact occurred in the city of mulabaugh, a city of 50,000 inhabitants that was located right in front of the epicenter and without any natural barrier, such as an island or a coral reef, according to surviving witnesses, A few minutes after the earthquake, the sea ominously receded 500 meters.

By exposing the sea floor, people had no idea that this was a warning sign that a wave was approaching. Within minutes, the seabed was again flooded with rapidly advancing foaming water one meter high. Moments later, a wall of water approximately 25 meters high appeared on the horizon. Witnesses said it made sounds as if a strong storm was approaching, although people managed to escape within minutes the wave swept through the city destroying 80 percent of the buildings in an instant killing about ten thousand people and reaching a distance of five kilometers from the coast the wave continued to devastate entire areas to the north cities towns forests and fields disappeared in the blink of an eye longa is a small coastal community about 13 kilometers southwest of asec located on a coastal plain between two jungle hills tropical overlooking a large bay and known for its great white sand beach and surf Witnesses described the arrival of the wave as follows when the land shook the sea immediately receded temporarily revealing huge coral reefs approximately 20 minutes Then huge black waves about 35 meters high appeared on the distant horizon.

The first wave arrived very quickly, a mass of foamy water about eight feet high. The second and third waves were between 20 and 35 meters high and when they arrived On the shore they looked like giant waves suitable for surfing but, so to speak, taller than coconut trees the size of a small mountain. The tsunami swept away large ships and destroyed a cement mining facility near the coast of Lampuk where the tsunami reached the fourth floor. From a building, the entire infrastructure of the area was destroyed and approximately 6,000 people died. The wave then reached the northern end of Asic, where the provincial capital Banda Asec is located with a population of 250,000 inhabitants.

An interesting phenomenon that we will find also occurred here. in later episodes and it is the diffraction although these islands were in the path of the tsunami and absorbed much of its energy from the west the wave thanks to the diffraction surrounded the islands intensified its effect and hit the city from this northwest direction the inhabitants They were caught completely off guard most of them trying to get their loved ones out of the aftershocks without realizing the

destruction

that was coming local Eyewitnesses described the arrival of three large waves, the first wave slightly flooded the sea and rose up to the foundations of coastal buildings, followed a few minutes later by a sudden and massive retreat of the sea in the port of Julie Luer, a few minutes later two large waves Pronounced black waves appeared, eyewitnesses described the tsunami as a black giant , a mountain and a wall of water.

The height of the waves when they reach the shore is estimated at 20 meters, so it is clear that the coastal areas were swept with enormous force. Video footage taken by a witness shows torrents of black water rushing through the windows of a two-story residential neighborhood located 3.2 kilometers inland. Amateur footage filmed in the city center also captured water gushing through the city streets to the depths of the water. The current in the city was at the second floor level. Footage from witnesses also showed the Asic River returning in a strong current carrying large amounts of debris and people from destroyed villages on the coast.

This debris was found up to 40 kilometers inland, especially in the northwestern parts. of the city the level of

destruction

was extreme as these photos show the tsunami claimed approximately 60,000 lives in the city in total the tsunami in

indonesia

claimed one hundred and sixty eight thousand lives and caused enormous damage to property and the economy of the entire The region most of the damage has already been repaired and the town of Banda Asech has unfortunately undergone significant modernization, although it is not prepared for the next tsunami. Tsunami warning systems have been installed, but passive protection is available in the form of huge breakwaters like those in Japan, for example.

The horrors of the 2004 tsunami are still missing and are commemorated by several monuments that commemorate this worst disaster in the history of Indonesia. The wave continued eastwards into the shallow Andaman Sea, at the end of which, about 500 kilometers east of Indonesia, are located Thailand and Malaysia, but we will talk about them in later episodes, however, in the next episode we will see the waves hitting the Nicobar Islands, which were victims of the wave a few moments after Indonesia. Friends, if you liked the video, make sure to subscribe to the channel so you don't miss the next video don't forget to give us a like and see you in the next episode