Tsunami!

[LI Phil]

As if 2004 didn't have enough severe and extreme weather, a huge earthquake in the Indian Ocean generated several tsunamis killing thousands in Sri Lanka and elsewhere.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/COL157489.htm

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/971739.cms

[James]

This is just terrible. The scenes on the news are simply unimaginable.

[ROLLTIDE]

11k people dead :(

[LI Phil]

11k people dead :(
22K+ and rising. Just horrible. Most of them never knew it was coming.

[LI Phil]

http://www.msnbc.com/modules/interactive.asp?id=/d/ip/tsunami_vids_041227/data.js&navid=3032091&fmt=full&cp1=1

If you haven't seen this footage, be prepared...you will feel a pit in your stomach.

[LI Phil]

.http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/12/28/asia.quake/top.hotel.ap.jpg (http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/12/28/asia.quake/index.html).
http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/interactive/world/0412/gallery.asia.quake2/india.1.car.ap.jpg
http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/12/28/quake.indonesia.ap/story.debris.ap.jpg

[Jason234]

Now the number is getting questionable...

[LI Phil]

Why would the major news media lie? Look for that total to exceed 50K when all is said and done. Just horrible. And that's just the immediate death toll. Wait till all these third world countries have to deal with rampant disease that all that standing water (what's left of it) will cause...this is not something to be made light of.

[Jason234]

I'm not making light of it...but I'm saying the number is "questionable" because you don't find 22,000 bodies in less then one day. It sounds like a media hype, that's all I'm saying.

[LI Phil]

Quake Disease, 2nd Ld-Writethru 12/28/2004 01:12:52 PM

Epidemics could kill as many as quake-tsunamis: World Health Organization



The World Health Organization warned on Tuesday that disease in the aftermath of southern Asia's tsunami disaster could kill as many people as the deadly waves and earthquake have.

Governments in 11 nations are still trying to determine how many were killed in the devastation wreaked by Sunday's quake and the tsunamis it caused. The death toll now stands at around 44,000 and is expected to rise.

But with relief officials warning of possible cholera epidemics and malaria, Dr. David Nabarro, head of crisis operations for WHO, told reporters in Geneva that "there is certainly a chance that we could have as many dying from communicable diseases as from the tsunami."

Nabarro said the main threat to life now is communicable diseases associated with a lack of clean water and sanitation.

"The initial terror associated with the tsunamis and the earthquake itself may be dwarfed by the longer term suffering of the affected communities," Nabarro warned.

Local hospitals and health services are already overwhelmed by the initial impact of the earthquake, and so are less able to cope with people who may fall ill, Nabarro said.

"So our focus, with the governments and with civil society organizations throughout the region, will be on saving lives, preventing disease and promoting recovery of the essential infrastructure for public health and well-being," he explained. "The assessments are underway."

Relief organizations are distributing supplies over 11 countries in Asia and Africa, and the United Nations has said it will likely make its largest ever appeal for humanitarian funding in response to the disaster.

The hardest-hit countries are Indonesia, whose Aceh region was closest to the epicenter of Sunday's earthquake, Sri Lanka, Thailand and India.

"Some areas are still hard to get to, but we're now moving into Aceh and finding early signs of a really terrible humanitarian tragedy in that part of Indonesia, and we're much more aware now of the needs in Sri Lanka, and Maldives and in the other countries," Nabarro said.

[LI Phil]

Bikini supermodel injured in tidal wave disaster, NY spokesman says



Czech supermodel Petra Nemcova is recovering in a Thai hospital after she and her photographer boyfriend were caught up in the Asian tidal wave disaster, her New York spokesman said Tuesday. The boyfriend is missing.

Nemcova's New York spokesman, Rob Shuter, said the model and her boyfriend, Simon Atlee, had been vacationing in the resort of Phuket when waves overwhelmed their beach hut.

Nemcova survived by clinging to a tree for eight hours, he said. She suffered several broken bones, including a suspected broken pelvis.

"I've spoken to Petra several times, and she's in pretty bad shape," Shuter said. "She's on pain medication. She probably doesn't realize yet the magnitude of the disaster."

Nemcova's sister was traveling to Thailand from New York to arrange for the model to be evacuated, Shuter said.

Atlee's agent, Eve Stoner, said British authorities had no information on his fate.

"We are just very hopeful," she said. "As time goes on we are getting quite frantic and stressed about it. Our thoughts are really with Petra and Simon's family at the moment."

Nemcova, 25, appeared on the cover of the 2003 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue and has posed for magazines including Marie Claire and Vogue. She also models for Victoria's Secret.

Atlee, 33, is a well-known fashion photographer who recently shot the pictures for Nemcova's 2005 calendar.

More than 52,000 people in 11 nations were killed by Asia's devastating tsunamis.

[Jason234]

Looks like another chunck of their pop'n will be eaten away by famine..but a few billion dollars should put things back in order-right?

[LI Phil]

DON'T GET ME STARTED...This is one of the worst natural disasters in history, and when all is said and done, this will put an explanation mark on 2004. Do NOT make light of this...but DO NOT say the US throwing a couple billion bucks will make all right in the world either.

This is a horrible disaster...

Words cannot describe how bad...

But maybe the US better measure our response on this one.

Afterall, the whole world hates us and we are the evil incarnate...

Now, they all want our help...

So they can all rise up against us...

F-that!

Kofi Annan??? Do some research into him before you give me crap...

I have some ideas, let's talk!:icon_evil

[LI Phil]

Incredible animation of the Indonesian tsunami:

http://pmel.noaa.gov/tsunami/Mov/TITOV-INDO2004.mov

[Jason234]

First of all your contradicting yourself....you say that they will rise up and revolt but then you say that we should give money to them. MAKE UP YOUR MIND, because if we had a disaster like this, I can sure as hell guarantee that India wouldn't be giving us disaster relief money. And yes that is fact, because in order for a country to help someone else they have to first help themselves. LET'S ROLL!

[LI Phil]

Look, this thread is about the horrible destruction which has and continues to take place throughout the indian ocean. When the UN calls US assistance "trivial," I get pissed off! The UN and the rest of the world go around bashing the US, making us out to be "thugs" and "aggressors" etc. Fine, they are entitled to their opinions. Now, they're bashing us for not giving away billions of dollars...well, maybe we should just keep our disaster aid and spend it here in America helping out the tornado & hurricane victims...but no, we'll pony up the dough, just like we ALWAYS do because we are a good and great nation. What thanks do we get? The world hates us and the UN calls our response thus far "trivial." They can all kiss my ***.

Unfortunately, the poor people who need the assistance would probably be MOST grateful to the US for our help...only their governments' won't thank us and they will continue to bash us.

Sorry for the rant late last night...I was watching it all evening on the news and had to vent.

rant2

[Jason234]

Thanks for clearing that up, now I can tell your stance.

[Jason234]

Death toll 80,000 plus...but no animals killed.

[LI Phil]

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1227_041226_tsunami.html#main

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/12/29/tech/main663740.shtml