Our deepest thanks go out to all the friends and family who shared your thoughtful words, prayers and especially generous support. So much inspiration has come from experiencing that through the cooperation of people around the world, we truly can make a difference!
***Note: Donations will continue to be collected to support ongoing post-tsunami relief efforts and projects in southern Thailand. Your support is appreciated.

 Donation Amount:
$  


Thank You for your generous support.
     On December 26, 2004 an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter Scale occurred beneath the Indian Ocean. It was followed by a succession of 15 smaller quakes across the Andaman region. The large initial quake caused a tsunami that resulted in incalculable damage and loss to human life across countries in the region. Current estimates are well over two hundred thousand for the number missing or presumed killed in the tsunami.
     In Thailand alone, over 4,500 have been confirmed dead with well over 6,500 still missing. These numbers are low estimates as they do not accurately account for rural and other historically marginalized populations existing in the southern region of Thailand. Other than those lost to the tsunami, thousands who have survived have also been directly affected by the disaster. Whole villages have been washed away leaving behind villagers with neither shelter nor possessions. Hundreds of families have been relocated to temporary camps far from their traditional homes and without knowledge of what their futures hold. It will take years to try and put back together lives that have been been pulled apart by this tragedy.
    It was difficult to know what to expect heading into southern Thailand a month after the tsunami. The fact is there was no way to truly know what the situation was without going there. It is apparent now why before going there it seemed difficult to get a sense of the situation from those who were there. Even now, it is difficult to put into words what it is like being in the area.
     Things seem a fraction more stable now than two months ago. Two months ago the areas around Phuket, Khao Lak and the nearby islands were in a chaotic frenzy. Army and aid workers entered into the area to conduct search & rescue missions, take care of those wounded in the aftermath and begin to deal with the immense challenge of managing the thousands of corpses being recovered within just days. One of the first large-scale and organized efforts was to restore electricity in the area. Kilometres of concrete electricity poles were put into places where nothing else was left standing. This was important to help relief efforts in affected areas as well as to maintain the conditions of less-affected areas caught in between affected areas.
     Travelling the 90 kilometres north from Khao Lak to the coastal areas off the Surin Islands near Kuraburi Town weaves through a wide-spectrum of tsunami affected areas. Much of the area immediately around Khao Lak was entirely washed away. The ruins of large resorts situated right on the beach are a testament to the force with which the tsunami struck; it hammered buildings and tossed cars around in its wake. A 100-ton police boat was washed two kilometres inland across the road and on to the base of the mountain. The majority of the palm trees were left standing, many were uprooted and others simply snapped in half by the force of the water. This is the kind of destruction one might expect to happen, but still not be prepared to see. Satellite images before and after the tsunami can be viewed here. (This post-tsunami image was taken only days afterwards and shows how far inland the tsunami travelled.)
     In some places, a change in elevation of tens of metres within a distance of a few kilometres kept areas above the wave mark and was the difference that saved some families from the direct impact of the tsunami. On islands like Prahtong, structures from entire villages were swept away and many many lives were lost.
     A lot of discussion has occurred as to whether or not a tsunami warning system would have helped to prevent more lives from being lost. It is my personal opinion that such a system is in place in the Pacific Ocean region and could just as easily be implemented in the Indian Ocean region. Having met the children who have lost parents and the parents who have lost children, the ability to have saved one more life (and in reality, many more than that) is one that is definitely worth looking into.
     Billions of dollars has been spent on aid and economic development infrastructure in the countries around the Indian Ocean. As a colleague wrote on the subject, "This 'aid' has explicitly omitted any concern for the establishment of any tsunami or ocean related natural hazard warning system, despite the warnings by various government offices and internaitonal meetings which clearly emphasized the need for such systems. For agencies and government spokespeople to speak of Indian Ocean nations not 'subscribing to' or establishing warning systerms is fully distortive of their own roles in this catastrophe."
It appears that a warning system will be put in place in the next two years and that the area will continue to be on high alert for potential tsunamis.
     The fear of what has happened in the past and the fear of what may come in the future is one of the many things that maintains a sense of uncertainty among those affected by the tsunami.