Asia Earthquake :-(

**DarthQuack** · 12-26-2004

Thought I would open a somber thread about this horrible event that happened Christmas Day. The current AP update is saying that over 12 thousand people are feared dead. I can't believe something like this can happen. The earthquake registered 8.9 on the geiger counter(or scale?). And then having the Tsunami hit a little while after with 20 ft high waves crashing down. I really feel for the people that are dealing with that tragedy overseas.

**Kidhuman** · 12-26-2004

It is a sad day over there. Over 12k dead. A tragedy with out a doubt.

**sergiurusu** · 12-26-2004

this is a real tragedy...

**Exhaust Port** · 12-26-2004

Originally Posted by DarthQuack

The earthquake registered 8.9 on the geiger counter(or scale?).

Richter Scale, a geiger counter measures radiation levels.

They upped the earthquake to 9.0 on the Richter scale earlier today making it the 4th on the all-time list of recorded earthquakes. Sadly it sounds like these deaths resulted because the authorities couldn't spread a warning to get to high ground. They knew it was coming but most of the population is quite rural and they never knew what was on the way.

One expert on the news this evening mentioned that they actually have a tsunami education program to teach folks the signs of an oncoming tsunami so they can seek the high ground. From what he said that anytime anyone feels an earthquake or notes that there is a significant retraction of the water at ocean and riverfronts that they should have gone to high ground until they were given an "all clear". Hopefully a valuable lesson will be learned from this event.

**Sith Lord 0498** · 12-27-2004

Originally Posted by kidhuman

It is a sad day over there. Over 12k dead. A tragedy with out a doubt.

The news just keeps getting worse. The headline over at Yahoo now declares "Tsunami waves kills over 20,900 in Asia."

20,900...it's almost impossible to comprehend.

**DarthQuack** · 12-27-2004

It's just something you can't really fathom sometimes. That many people dying in a natural disaster....nothign caused by man, it's just unbelievable the forces that the world can have.

**Lowly Bantha Cleaner** · 12-27-2004

Expect a much higher death toll. The president of Indonesia says that maybe 20,000 died in his country alone--from both the tsunami and the quake.

As EP said, this tragedy might have been prevented had the Indian Ocean contained a tsunami warning system like the Pacific does. I am not sure if cost was the big factor, but that would have saved tons of lives had it been available.

**DarthQuack** · 12-28-2004

I can't believe it's up to 40k now, It was just 24k last night and now its so damn high....

**hango fett** · 12-28-2004

thats because the tsunami went to far away, as far as kenya, and moved at about 500-600MPH which is damn fast. that is why they couldn't really get a warning out. because it was moving so fast plus they had no warning system, like Exhaust Port said.

HF

**kool-aid killer** · 12-29-2004

I had heard about this the day of, but didnt real pay much attention to it. When i did, i was astounded by the amount of people who died. Its very disturbing when you look past the number and think of all the stories that were contained in those lives. Its unfortunate. I was watching a program last night and it said that aid may not be able to reach some locations because of a rebel uprising within a country (by the Tamil Tigers) and much of the affected regions being in their territory. Hopefully nations will be able to put politics aside and work together for humanitys sake. My prayers go out to those who died and those who lost loved one.