The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, 26 December 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake. The resulting tsunami was given various names, including the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, South Asian tsunami, Indonesian tsunami, the Christmas tsunami and the Boxing Day tsunami.
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
When did this happen? December 26, 2004
Where did this happen? Epicenter in Sumatra, Indonesia
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Quick Facts about 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
9.1-9.3
magnitude earthquake
30m (100ft)
max. wave height
227,898
fatalities
$14 billion
in humanitarian aid
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami: What happened?
This was a very emotional event for me, and I had dreams for weeks of my family being swept away by walls of water. We had just enjoyed a nice Christmas together, and were going about normal cozy things the day after Christmas and we learned of this incredible tragedy. I remember being at work when the twin towers fell, with coworkers huddled around a small television set watching the live coverage–and just a few years later the internet had progressed to where a tragedy could travel around the world with extensive footage of human tragedy within hours. The contrast of my safe peaceful life with the horror going on in Indonesia hit me so hard that I can’t watch videos or see any pictures of it to this day without tears.