EFFECTS OF TSUNAMI

As you many know a tsunami is caused by a strong earthquake on the ocean bed. The
vibrations travel through the water traveling sometimes thousands of kilometres. If you were
on the water or deep sea diving in scuba gear you would not notice much probably just rough
waves or a momentarily strong downward pull if you were underwater. However, a tsunami
gains its true destructive power as it approaches land. The water level becomes shallower
causing the waves caused by the earthquake to compress and combine. This is what creates
the massive and destructive waves that cause so much destruction.
Imagine over several tons worth of water either falling on you or surging towards you.
You would have a better chance at the Running of the Bulls. The waves not only sweep
people away, but can also destroy even well-built structures. The costs to human life can also
be devastating. The deadliest tsunamis in recorded history was the Christmas tsunamis of
2004 in the Indian Ocean. On December 24, 2004, a massive 9.2 earthquake occurred of the
island of Sumatra. It created a deadly series of tsunamis that swept Indonesia, India,
Madagascar, and Ethiopia. The death toll was estimated to be in the neighbourhood of
300,000 to 350,000. This was one of the greatest losses of life due to a major natural
catastrophe in modern history.
The severe flooding that occurs as a result of a tsunami also damages sewer systems,
water supplies and soil. Stagnant and contaminated water leads to malaria and other diseases,
causing illness, infection and death to spread rapidly. Soil becomes salinized from sea water
and debris, effecting long-term yields of crops. The tall and fast-moving waves also damage
property and permanently alter the landscape, sometimes wiping out entire islands. They
destroy everything in their path, including buildings, trees, power lines, bridges, cars, boats
and more, leaving behind them a mass of solid waste and debris that is almost impossible to
clean up. They also destroy animal life, insects, plants and natural resources. Hazardous
materials and toxic substances are also a concern, as asbestos, oil fuel and other industrial
raw materials and chemicals often leak as a result of property damage.

The consequences vary from loss of livelihood for fishermen to unknown damages to
coral reefs and flora and fauna where the waves came a few miles inland. In some fragile
areas near the Indonesian coast, it may take years for the coral reefs to get back the balance
and mangrove stands and coastal tree plantations may have been destroyed or severely
affected. With so much seawater coming inland, salination is another effect that not only
makes the soil less fertile to support vegetation but also increases vulnerability to erosion, the
impacts of climate change and food insecurity. For humans, on the other hand, fisheries,
housing and infrastructure were the worst affected. It throws light on how reclamation of land
for agriculture and settlement, setting up of resorts in high-risk beaches and the drastic loss of
mangrove forests by man increased the damage caused by the tsunami.
A tsunami's tidal waves batter the shoreline and can destroy anything in their path.
This includes boats, buildings, houses, hotels, cars, trees, telephone lines - and just about
anything else in their way. Once the waves have knocked down infrastructure on the shore the
waves continue inland for many more miles - obliterating yet more buildings and homes. As
the water rushes across the land it can sweep away yet more trees, gardens, garages, cars and
other man made equipment.
Boats have often been hurled into the sky and iron parking metres have been bent to
the ground, demonstrating the sheer power of the water. Tsunamis often hit poorer and lessdeveloped countries around South Asia that are close to the ''ring of fire'' in the Pacific Ocean
- a area with high seismic activity. Because these countries are poor their buildings are not
built strongly to withstand natural disasters such as Tsunamis. This means that when the
water hits the buildings they are easily washed away. The water leaves a trail of destruction
that looks like an enormous bomb has exploded in the area. Entire towns and villages are
often destroyed in minutes.
Unfortunately one of the biggest and worst effects of a Tsunami is the cost to human
life. Hundreds and thousands of people are killed by Tsunamis. The force of the tsunami
wave may kill people instantly or they may drown as water rushes on the land. People may
also be killed if a building is knocked down by the tsunami and it hits them. They can also be
electrocuted if wires fall down into the water or they may be killed by fires or explosions.
The tsunami that struck South Asia and East African on December 24 2004 killed a
staggering 31,187 people in Sri Lanka. There were 4,280 missing people and a further 23,189
were injured.