20 Years Ago

[Pdoggg]

A disaster that transpired almost two decades ago, yet the wounds are still fresh for many present on the southern island at the time. Although Phuket has evolved to become a powerhouse of Thailand’s tourism as of late, for those present on the fateful day in 2004, the memories of a sunny day quickly turning deadly remain engraved in their minds for decades to come.

On Boxing Day 2004, just after Christmas where children woke up to the presents delivered by Santa just the night prior. The festive season spirits and atmosphere still lingered as many prepared for the short stretch towards the new year.

 

As the festivities continued, the residents and tourists of Phuket carried on with their days, blissfully unaware of the 9.1 magnitude earthquake at an undersea fault in the Indian Ocean. A stark juxtaposition to a characteristically warm and sunny day on the tropical island was yet to come.

Soon to be overthrown by nothing but darkness and despair that was the tsunami, claiming many innocent lives and haunting the minds of many, piercing their minds with anguish until this very day.

 

The warm and sunny day was merely a facade after all, but who was to predict this untimely disaster?

The tsunami that engulfed Phuket on December 26, 2004, ultimately was the ripple effect of one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded on God’s green earth. If I were to put it in its simplest form, the earthquake caused a tsunami. But of course, there’s a little more to it than that.

Let’s imagine the earth’s surface as one giant eggshell. Now think of the pieces of the eggshells as tectonic plates. For millions of years, these plates have been moving very slowly. They can bump, slide, or pull each other apart.

 

In December of 2004, the Indian Oceanic plate was forced under, towards the earth’s core by the movement of the Burma microplate. What then ensued was a rupture along the 1,200-kilometre fault, causing the ocean floor to rise by roughly 40 metres, displacing large amounts of water. You may think that a meagre 40 metres may not account for much, but it was enough to send waves moving at over 900 kph.

What steps have been taken for prevention since then?

Before 2004, Thailand lacked a tsunami early warning system, and both locals and tourists were unaware of the threat. There were no emergency response plans in place in the six Andaman coastal provinces, which led to significant loss of life and property.

In response, Thailand has since invested in a multi-hazard warning system, regularly conducts drills, and developed a disaster risk management plan based on the “build back better” concept for a more resilient society.

Thailand’s disaster management regulations, such as the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Act (2007) and the National Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Plan (2010-2014), have established guidelines for effective preparedness and response.

The country has set up the National Disaster Warning Centre, two tsunami monitoring buoys, automatic tidal gauge stations, and over 130 warning towers across at-risk areas. These measures, including multi-language alarm systems, ensure timely alerts and evacuation to protect people from various hazards, including tsunamis.

 

 

[blind boy grunt]

My god PD... quite the most vomit inducing AI written report i have ever seen. a masterpiece of adjectives!

but, forgetting that shite, i know a long -term Jomtien resident who was on Phuket on that date. He remembers it well.

Actually he probably remembers Noah's Ark too.

[xyzzy]

I first went to Phuket about 16 months after the tsunami. I stayed in a hotel on Soi Sansabai that was dry during the tsunami.The owner said their kitchen stayed open until all food was gone. He said he didn't realize it was so bad until he later walked down toward the beach and saw the bodies...