The most destructive tsunami in history (12 photos). The deadliest tsunami in the history of mankind (15 photos)

Five years ago, on December 26, 2004, a 9.3-magnitude underwater earthquake shook the Indian Ocean, sending massive waves across the coasts of 13 countries, leaving 230,000 dead in their wake. This natural disaster ranked fifth in terms of human lives. About 45,000 of the dead were never found. Five years have passed - restoration work is still ongoing - 140,000 houses, 1,700 schools, 3,800 temples and 3,700 km of roads have been built. Collected in this issue are photographs of survivors, restoration work, and several before and after photographs.

(Total 32 photos)

1. A resident of Aceh province cries during a prayer in memory of the victims of the tsunami on the fifth anniversary of the earthquake and 2004 tsunami December 26, 2009 in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Aceh suffered the most, as main city province was closest to the epicenter. The tsunami reached it first and caused about 130,000 deaths. 230,000 people died in 11 countries, making this one of the worst disasters in history. (Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images)

2. Foreign tourists who chose a beach holiday, during the first wave of the six waves of the tsunami on the beach of Hat Rai Lay near Krabi in southern Thailand December 26, 2004. (AFP/AFP/Getty Images)

4. a) Five years later, a resident of the city collects grass for his goats in the same place on December 4, 2009. (REUTERS/Beawiharta)

11. praying and releasing offerings into the ocean during a ceremony marking the fifth anniversary of the tsunami in Indian Ocean at Ulhi Lheu Beach in Banda Aceh, Aceh Province, Indonesia on December 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Heri Juanda)

12. In this photo, taken December 6, 2009, children perform a traditional dance at an orphanage in Banda Aceh, the provincial capital of Aceh. From total more than half of those killed in the tsunami (230,000 people) died in Aceh on the island of Sumatra, leaving at least 5,200 orphans with whom child psychologists worked for a long time. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

15. Thai authorities make the final check of the tsunami warning buoy in Cape Panwa in Phuket, southern Thailand, December 1, 2009. Five years after the tsunami that devastated the Asian coast, experts fear that a new generation of coastal residents will be ill-prepared for other huge waves as memories of the tragedy fade. (PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL/AFP/Getty Images)

17. Dutch tourist Hans Kuiper photographs images of foreign tourists who wanted to celebrate the new year in a resort hotel and died as a result of the 2004 tsunami. Photo taken at Bang Muang Cemetery in Phang Nga province north of Phuket, Thailand on December 26, 2009. (REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom)

20. Tsunami survivor Abhilash Jayaraj, also known as "Child 81", sits on a chair at home while waiting to go to school in Kurukkalmadam in Batticaloa district on November 23, 2009. The 2004 tsunami brought this "baby 81" international fame, but the parents of the boy, who was only two months old at the time of the tragedy, say the fame brought them only misfortune and unwanted attention. The surviving child was found in the wreckage on the coast of Sri Lanka. Shortly thereafter, nine pairs of parents came for him, each of whom claimed that this was their child. (REUTERS/Andrew Caballero-Reynolds)

23. Red Cross volunteers sit with open umbrellas, which depict the faces of smiling orphans left without parents as a result of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami on the fifth anniversary of the disaster at the tsunami museum in Banda Aceh on December 26, 2009. (REUTERS/Beawiharta)

Which amazes with its power, strength and boundless energy. This element attracts the attention of researchers who are trying to understand the very nature of the occurrence of giant waves in order to prevent terrible consequences from the destructive power of water. This review will present a list of the most grandiose tsunamis in their scope that have occurred over the past 60 years.

Destructive wave in Alaska

Most big tsunami in the world arise under the influence various factors However, earthquakes are the most common cause of this phenomenon. It was the tremors that became the basis for the formation of a deadly wave back in 1964 in Alaska. Good Friday (March 27) - one of the main Christian holidays - was overshadowed by an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.2 points. The natural phenomenon had a direct impact on the ocean - there were waves 30 meters long and 8 meters high. The tsunami demolished everything in its path: the West Coast suffered North America as well as Haiti and Japan. On this day, about 120 people died, and the territory of Alaska decreased by 2.4 meters.

Deadly tsunami in Samoa

Photo of herself big wave in the world (tsunami) invariably impresses and evokes the most contradictory feelings - this is both horror from the realization of the scale of the ensuing catastorophy, and a kind of reverence for the forces of nature. In general, similar pictures for last years appeared a lot on the news resources. They depict the terrible consequences of a natural disaster that took place in Samoa. According to reliable data, about 198 local residents died during the disaster, most of them children.

An 8.1 magnitude earthquake caused the most big tsunami in the world. You can see photos of the consequences in the review. Max Height waves reached 13.7 meters. The water destroyed several villages as it moved 1 mile (1.6 km) inland. Further after this tragic event in the region began to monitor the situation, which allowed timely evacuation of people.

Hokkaido Island, Japan

The rating "The biggest tsunami in the world" cannot be imagined without the incident that occurred in Japan in 1993. The root cause of the formation of giant waves is an earthquake, which was localized 129 km from the coast. The authorities announced the evacuation of people, but it was not possible to avoid casualties. The height of the largest tsunami in the world, which occurred in Japan, was 30 meters. Special barriers were not enough to stop the powerful flow, so the small island of Okusuri was completely submerged in water. On this day, about 200 people out of 250 inhabitants who inhabited the city died.

City of Tumaco: the horror of a December morning

1979, December 12 - one of the most tragic days in the lives of people inhabiting the Pacific coast. It was on this morning at about 8:00 am that an earthquake occurred, the magnitude of which was 8.9 points. But this was not the most serious shock that awaited people. After that, a whole series of tsunamis hit small villages and cities, which swept away everything in its path. Within a few hours of the disaster, 259 people died, more than 750 were seriously injured, and 95 residents were reported missing. Below, readers are presented with a photo of the largest wave in the world. The tsunami in Tumaco cannot leave anyone indifferent.

Indonesian tsunami

5th place in the list of "The biggest tsunamis in the world" is occupied by a wave 7 meters high, but stretching for 160 km. The resort area of ​​Pangadaryan disappeared from the face of the earth along with the people who inhabited this area. In July 2006, 668 residents died, more than 9,000 asked for help in medical institutions. About 70 people were reported missing.

Papua New Guinea: tsunami for the benefit of humanity

The most a big wave tsunami in the world, despite the severity of all the consequences, has become an opportunity for scientists to advance in the study of the underlying causes of this natural phenomenon. In particular, the primary role of strong underwater landslides, which contribute to water fluctuations, was determined.

In July 1998, an earthquake occurred, the magnitude of which was 7 points. Despite the seismic activity, scientists were unable to predict the tsunami, which caused numerous casualties. More than 2,000 people died under the pressure of 15- and 10-meter waves, more than 10 thousand people lost their homes and livelihoods, 500 people disappeared.

Philippines: no chance for salvation

If you ask experts what is the largest tsunami in the world, they will unanimously name the wave of 1976. During this period, seismic activity was recorded near the island of Mindanao, in the source, the strength of the tremors reached 7.9 points. Because of the earthquake, a grandiose wave was formed in its scope, which covered 700 km of the coast of the Philippines. The tsunami reached a height of 4.5 m. The inhabitants did not have time to evacuate, which led to numerous casualties. More than 5,000 people were killed, 2,200 people were declared missing, and about 9,500 local residents were injured. A total of 90,000 people were affected by the tsunami and lost their homes.

pacific death

The year 1960 is marked in red in history. This is due to the fact that at the end of May this year, 6,000 people died due to an earthquake of magnitude 9.5. It was the seismic tremors that contributed to the volcanic eruption and the formation of a colossal wave that swept everything in its path. The height of the tsunami reached 25 meters, which in 1960 was a true record.

Tsunami in Tohuku: nuclear disaster

Japan faced it again, but the consequences were even worse than in 1993. A powerful wave that reached 30 meters hit Ofunato - japanese city. As a result of the disaster, more than 125 thousand buildings were decommissioned, in addition, the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant was seriously damaged. Nuclear disaster has become one of the most serious in recent years all over the world. Reliable information about what was the true damage inflicted environment, still no. However, there is an opinion that the radiation spread to 320 km.

Tsunami in India - a threat to all mankind!

The natural disasters listed in the World's Biggest Tsunamis cannot compare to the event that occurred in December 2004. The wave hit several states that have access to the Indian Ocean. This is a real global one that required more than 14 billion dollars to correct the situation. According to the reports that were presented after the tsunami, more than 240 thousand people living in various countries: India, Indonesia, Thailand, etc.

The reason for the formation of a 30-meter wave is an earthquake. His strength was 9.3 points. water flow reached the coast of some countries 15 minutes after the start seismic activity that did not give people a chance to escape from death. Other states fell into the power of the elements after 7 hours, but, despite such a delay, the population was not evacuated due to the lack of a warning system. Some people, oddly enough, were saved by the children who studied the signs of an impending disaster at school.

Tsunami in the fjord-shaped bay of Alaska

In the history of meteorological observations, a tsunami was recorded, the height of which exceeds all conceivable and unthinkable records. In particular, scientists were able to record a wave with a height of 524 meters. A powerful water stream rushed at a speed of 160 km / h. There was not a single living place left on the way: the trees were uprooted, the rocks were covered with cracks and faults. The La Gaussy spit was wiped off the face of the Earth. Fortunately, there were few casualties. Only the death of the crew of one of the launches, which at that moment was in the bay nearby, was recorded.

Earthquakes themselves are quite destructive and terrible, but their effects are only exacerbated by huge tsunami waves that can follow massive seismic disturbances on the ocean floor. Often, coastal dwellers have only minutes to flee to higher ground, and any delay can cause colossal casualties. In this compilation, you will learn about the most powerful and destructive tsunamis in history. Over the past 50 years, our ability to study and predict tsunamis has reached new heights, but they still proved insufficient to prevent massive destruction.

March 27, 1964 was Good Friday, but the Christian day of worship was interrupted by a 9.2 magnitude earthquake, the most powerful ever recorded in North American history. The subsequent tsunami devastated the western North American coastline (also hitting Hawaii and Japan), killing 121 people. Waves up to 30 meters high were recorded, and a 10-meter tsunami wiped out the tiny Alaskan village of Chenega.

In 2009 the Samoan Islands experienced a magnitude 8.1 earthquake at 7:00 am on September 29th. Tsunamis up to 15 meters high followed, reaching miles inland, engulfing villages and causing widespread destruction. 189 people died, many of them children, but no further deaths were avoided due to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center giving people time to evacuate to higher ground.

On July 12th, 1993, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck 80 miles off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan. The Japanese authorities reacted quickly by issuing a tsunami warning, but the small island of Okushiri was out of the relief zone. Already minutes after the earthquake, the island was covered with giant waves - some of which reached 30 meters in height. Of the 250 tsunami victims, 197 were residents of Okushiri. Although some were saved thanks to the memory of the 1983 tsunami that hit the island 10 years earlier, prompting a quick evacuation.

At 8:00 am on December 12th, 1979, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake began near Colombia and the Pacific coast of Ecuador. The tsunami that followed destroyed six fishing villages and most the city of Tumaco, as well as several other Colombian coastal cities. 259 people died while 798 were injured and 95 were missing.

On July 17th, 2006, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake shook the seabed near Java. A 7m high tsunami hit the Indonesian coastline, including 100 miles of Java's coastline, which was fortunately unaffected by the 2004 tsunami. The waves penetrated more than a mile inland, leveling the settlements and the seaside resort of Pangandaran. At least 668 people have died, 65 are missing and more than 9,000 have required medical attention.

7.0 magnitude earthquake hits north coast papua new guinea July 17th, 1998 without causing a major tsunami. However, the earthquake triggered a large underwater landslide, which in turn produced waves 15 meters high. When the tsunami hit the coast, it caused at least 2,183 deaths, 500 missing, and made approximately 10,000 residents homeless. Numerous villages were badly damaged, while others, such as Arop and Warapu, were completely destroyed. The only positive was that it gave the scientists valuable insight the threat of underwater landslides and unexpected tsunamis that they can cause, which will save lives in the future.

In the early morning, August 16th, 1976, the small island of Mindanao in the Philippines was hit by an earthquake with a magnitude of at least 7.9. The earthquake caused a huge tsunami that crashed into 433 miles of coastline, where residents did not realize the danger and did not have time to escape to higher ground. In all, 5,000 people died and another 2,200 went missing, 9,500 were injured and more than 90,000 residents were left homeless. Cities and regions throughout the Northern Celebes Sea region of the Philippines were devastated by the tsunami, which is considered among the worst natural disasters in the country's history.

In 1960 the world experienced the most strong earthquake from the start of tracking such events. On May 22nd, the Great Chile Earthquake of 9.5 began off the south coast of central Chile, causing a volcanic eruption and a devastating tsunami. In some areas, waves were up to 25 meters high, while the tsunami also swept across the Pacific Ocean, hitting Hawaii about 15 hours after the earthquake and killing 61 people. Seven hours later, waves hit the coast of Japan, causing 142 deaths. A total of 6,000 died.

While all tsunamis are dangerous, the 2011 Tohuku Tsunami that hit Japan has some of the worst consequences. On March 11th, waves of 11 meters were recorded after a magnitude 9 earthquake, although some reports mention terrifying heights of up to 40 meters with waves traveling 6 miles inland, as well as a colossal 30 meter wave that crashed into the coastal town of Ofunato . Approximately 125,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed, transport infrastructure suffered heavy losses. Approximately 25,000 people died, the tsunami also damaged nuclear power plant Fukushima I, causing a disaster of International Nuclear Scale. The full implications of this nuclear disaster are still unclear, but radiation has been detected 200 miles from the station.

The world was stunned by the deadly tsunami that hit the countries surrounding the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004. The tsunami was the deadliest ever, with over 230,000 casualties, affecting people in 14 countries, the largest number victims in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. The strong underwater earthquake had a magnitude of up to 9.3, and the deadly waves it caused were up to 30 meters high. Massive tsunamis flooded some coastlines as early as 15 minutes, and some as much as 7 hours after the initial earthquake. Despite having time to prepare for wave impacts in some places, the lack of an Indian Ocean tsunami warning system has meant that most coastal areas have been taken by surprise. However, some places were saved thanks to local signs and even the knowledge of children who learned about the tsunami at school.

Tsunami- incredible dangerous phenomenon nature. Terrifying consequences make you feel unimportant. But, as they say, you need to know your enemy by sight, so let's find out more about this evil joke of nature.
Tsunamis can appear anywhere the globe. They are most often seen in pacific ocean. But when tsunami originates in the Indian Ocean, its effects - due to population density in coastal areas - are more destructive and deadly.

The tectonic plate on which modern India is located has been slowly moving northeast for many millions of years. This sometimes causes earthquakes, causing the Himalayas to rise. Other seismically active areas include the Makran coast in Pakistan and the Maharashtra coastal zone in India. Most tsunamis in the Indian Ocean are the result of powerful earthquakes in active subduction zones on the ocean floor.

As for the largest water areas included in the Indian Ocean basin, these are primarily the Bengal, Great Australian and Persian Gulfs, the Andaman, Arabian and Red Seas. A powerful earthquake of 9 points - the largest in the last forty years - occurred off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra on December 26, 2004.

It was this kind of earthquake that triggered the 2004 tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people in 14 countries after resorts and islands were flooded. huge wave. This earthquake, which reached magnitude nine on the Richter scale, was probably one of the most powerful in history. Its epicenter was 30 km under water, at a distance of 240 km from the coast of Sumatra, and its duration was about eight minutes. The shift of about 1200 km of rock over a distance of 15 m along the subduction zone on the ocean floor caused a series of waves that, approaching the shore, gained tremendous speed. Within thirty minutes, they fell upon Sumatra, whose inhabitants did not suspect anything of the approaching disaster, and brought destruction and death. Among the victims were not only locals, but also about 9,000 tourists from Australia, Sweden, the UK and the US, who spent their Christmas holidays in the beach resorts of Southeast Asia.

Until 2004, humanity did not know such a powerful and devastating tsunami. The previous catastrophe of this level was associated with the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano. This volcano in the Sunda Strait, which separates Java and Sumatra, was silent for more than two hundred years before literally exploding on August 26, 1883. Tsunamis up to 30 meters high caused the death of about 36,000 people on nearby islands.

Tsunami usually the result of an earthquake, but it can also be triggered by a volcanic eruption, landslide, drastic changes in atmospheric pressure or a meteorite. A tsunami is not just one big wave, but a series of waves called a "wave train". The period of time between waves is called the "wave period" and can be anywhere from five minutes to two hours. The first wave is usually not the most powerful, and later ones, such as the fifth or sixth, can be much larger. The Greek historian Thucydides (460-395 BC) in his "History Peloponnesian War"was the first to link tsunamis with underground earthquakes.

In distant parts of the ocean, tsunami waves can be as little as 1-3 feet high. Sailors may not even realize that tsunami waves are passing under them. The magnitude 9 Indonesian earthquake in 2004 released more energy than all the earthquakes on the planet in the last 25 years combined. A piece of the sea floor the size of California has moved up more than 30 feet towards the sea, displacing huge volumes of water. The most dangerous states in terms of tsunamis in the US are Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, Oregon and California.

Although no one has seen a tsunami generated by a meteorite, many scientists believe that a meteorite could have led to a tsunami that wiped out life on Earth over 3.5 billion years ago. Scientists believe that an asteroid fell into the Indian Ocean about 4,800 years ago. The tsunami generated by him, according to experts, had a height of about 600 feet (180 m).

Palm trees, with their long bare trunks, are well adapted to coastal life and often withstand tsunami impacts. According to the description of the events, those who try to avoid the tsunami by car often get stuck in traffic or other circumstances, so they are more likely to be washed away by the wave. Statistics show that The best way to escape is to climb a steep hill on your own as quickly as possible. Often people die after the first tsunami strike, when they return home too soon after it or go to the beach to help injured people or animals, where they are overtaken by another wave.

When hit by a tsunami wave, the best thing to do is not to try to swim on your own, but to grab onto a floating object and let the current carry you. From half an hour before the tsunami strikes, the ocean can (but not always) seem to dry up. The retreat of the water is called "retreat", it is the "chute" of the tsunami that overtakes the coast. Tsunami means "port wave" in Japanese (tsu = port, bay + nami = wave), reflecting Japan's tsunami-rich history.

Only two major tsunamis are known to have hit Europe: one hit Crete and the surrounding Mediterranean coasts in 1530 BC, and the second hit Lisbon in Portugal in 1755. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami opened up the lost city of Mahabalipuram, the capital of a powerful kingdom that had trade relations with China, Rome, Greece, Arabia and Egypt about one and a half thousand years ago. It is said that the capital was "swallowed by the sea" at the height of its glory.

Hours before the Indian Ocean tsunami, people noticed that elephants and flamingos were heading towards higher ground. Dogs and animals in zoos refused to leave their hiding places. After the tsunami, very few dead animals were found. After the Japanese tsunami in 2011, a whole flood was washed onto the coast of the peninsula in Miyagi Prefecture human bodies. The 2011 tsunami in Japan was the most costly disaster in the world in the history of mankind.

The most damaging tsunami to occur in the western United States or Canada occurred on March 28, 1964, when an 8.4 magnitude earthquake struck Alaska. The waves reached a height of 21 feet and killed more than 120 people. Damage was estimated at $106 million. The earthquake that caused the 2011 tsunami in Japan was the world's fifth strongest earthquake since 1900. It has been 1,200 years since an earthquake of this magnitude hit the coast of Japan.

Tsunamis can poison fresh water, ground water, and soil, leaving behind great amount salt. As a result, thousands of people could die of starvation and disease long after the tsunami. Some geologists suggest that ancient tsunamis could be the source of legends such as the great biblical flood, the parting of the Red Sea during the migration of the ancient Jews from Egypt, and the destruction of the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete.

While wind-generated waves travel at speeds of 2 to 60 miles (3.2 - 97 km) per hour, tsunami waves can travel up to 600 miles (970 km) per hour, roughly the speed of a jet plane. . Although tsunamis occur in every ocean on Earth, about 80% of all tsunamis occur in the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Sometimes tsunamis were called tidal waves, but this is misleading, since tsunamis have nothing to do with tides. Over the past 2000 years in Pacific region the tsunami killed about 500,000 people. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami alone modern estimates claimed the lives of more than 280,000 people.

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