Oceanography The Official Magazine of
The Oceanography Society
Volume 25 Issue 02

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Volume 25, No. 2
Pages 208 - 218

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Tsunamis: Are We Underestimating the Risk?

By Eddie Bernard 
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The horrific December 26, 2004, Indian Ocean tsunami, which killed over 230,000 people and displaced 1.7 million across 14 countries, stimulated governments of the world into addressing tsunami hazards. Many Indian Ocean nations did not even recognize the word “tsunami,” and none had tsunami preparedness programs in place. Ignorance of the natural signs of a tsunami’s presence led to inappropriate actions and decisions by nations, population centers, and tourist destinations. The world’s response to this terrible natural disaster was an unprecedented $13.5 billion in international aid, including $5.5 billion from the general public in developed nations. The 2004 tsunami, one of the top 10 deadliest natural disasters the world has recorded, will probably be best remembered for the global outpouring of help to the innocent victims of this tragedy.

Citation

Bernard, E. 2012. Thirteenth Annual Roger Revelle Commemorative Lecture— Tsunamis: Are we underestimating the risk? Oceanography 25(2):208–218, https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2012.60.

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