Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
Representative pic
Tsunami waves barrel through the ocean at jetliner speeds—up to 800 km/h—giving coastal communities mere minutes to flee before a wall of water swallows everything in its path.
Tsunamis often begin with a subtle sea retreat or barely perceptible rise, lulling people into a false sense of safety—until a monstrous wave slams ashore with the force of a thousand bombs.
The first wave might not be the worst. Tsunamis strike in deadly sets, with stronger waves following minutes later—trapping survivors, flattening rescue operations, and doubling the destruction.
Waves can reach up to 50 meters—taller than a 15-story building—carrying trees, cars, and entire homes inland for kilometers, turning familiar towns into unrecognizable debris fields.
The 2004 tsunami was so powerful, it literally wobbled the Earth—altering the planet’s rotation and shifting mass distribution in an energy release rivaling 23,000 Hiroshima bombs.
Japan’s 2011 tsunami didn’t just kill thousands—it triggered the Fukushima meltdown, launching a radioactive crisis that contaminated water, displaced residents, and haunted a nation.
Entire economies can be gutted. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami alone racked up over $10 billion in losses, erasing ports, roads, power grids, and livelihoods in seconds.
Up to 1.7 million people were displaced in a single tsunami. Coastal villages vanish, leaving behind salt-poisoned soil, broken families, and a humanitarian crisis that lasts for years.
Beyond the dead and displaced, tsunamis leave deep mental scars: PTSD, grief, disease outbreaks in overcrowded shelters, and weeks without clean water, medicine, or hope.