Wednesday, December 24, 2014

What you need to know about tsunamis in Thailand

What is a tsunami?

Tsunamis are large waves of water usually caused by an earthquake, explosion or other event to move a lot of water. In the open ocean tsunamis are usually harmless and imperceptible to the human eye. At the start of the tsunami waves are big and small - wave height can be as small as a foot, and may be several hundred kilometers long and move very fast, so that it can go virtually unnoticed on the EEG in the water is shallow near the Earth , But since the distance between the bottom of the ocean floor and water is small, compressed, short, wide fast waves with very high and powerful waves, the drag on the ground. Depending on the amount involved in energy, it can reach more than 100 meters high. More information about tsunamis.

The 2004 tsunami

The 2004 tsunami, called the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 Indonesia Tsunami 2004 or 2004 Boxing Day tsunami was one of the worst natural disasters in history. It was triggered by an undersea earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 9.1 to 9.3, making it the third most powerful earthquake ever recorded.

The great earthquake generated tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand, the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people and caused billions of dollars in property damage.

The effects of the tsunami in Thailand

The tsunami struck the southwest coast of Thailand in the Andaman Sea, causing death and destruction of the northern border with Burma's southern border with Malaysia. The most affected areas in terms of the loss of life and destruction of property were in Phang Nga, Phuket and Krabi, not only because of its location, but because they were the most densely populated areas in the most developed coast.

The moment the tsunami, the morning after Christmas, the intensification of the loss of life in Thailand as he made popular tourist areas of the country in the Andaman coast during the holiday season, morning, as many people still in their homes or hotel rooms. Of at least 5,000 people killed in Thailand, nearly half abroad on holiday.

Much of the west coast of Phuket was severely damaged by the tsunami and more homes, hotels, restaurants and underground structures, major repair or reconstruction of others is necessary. Some areas, including Khao Lak, north of Phuket, Phang Nga, were almost completely destroyed by the waves.

Reconstitution

Although Thailand has suffered extensive damage during the tsunami, they could in comparison to most other countries to quickly rebuild. Within two years, almost all the damage had been removed and reconstructed the affected areas. Phuket, Khao Lak and Phi Phi travel these days, and you probably will not see a trace of evidence of the tsunami.

Another tsunami is expected?

The 2004 tsunami was the largest earthquake in the region was probably in 700 years, an exceptionally rare event triggered seen. While small earthquakes can cause tsunamis, if one should occur, you do not expect the new system to detect and warn people tsunamis of them would be enough to save more people.

Tsunami Warning System

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), uses seismic data and a system of buoys to the activity of a tsunami monitoring and issuing bulletins, alerts and warnings of impending tsunamis in Cuenca Pacific.

Since the tsunami hit the ground immediately after generation not (can take up to two hours, depending on the earthquake, tsunami and give away from the earth), if there is a system to quickly analyze data and communicate risk to persons on the ground , most have time to get to a higher level. During the 2004 tsunami, data analysis or rapid alert systems or land were available, but since countries have worked together to close this gap.

After the tsunami in 2004, Thailand has created a clearly marked tsunami evacuation system with bell towers along the coast, as well as radio, television and SMS notification and evacuation routes in densely populated areas. The warning in April 2012 tsunami was caused by an earthquake in Indonesia an excellent test of the system. Finally, while there were massive tsunami, at least in Thailand all areas that were affected be evacuated quickly. More information on the preparation of a tsunami, but be aware that tsunamis are very rare and it is very unlikely that you will experience an event during a trip to Thailand.

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