Twenty years ago on Dec. 26, one of the largest natural disasters in recorded history occurred, wiping entire towns off the face of the earth and killing more than 230,000 people.
It started with a 9.1-magnitude earthquake, followed by a tsunami. The city of Banda Aceh, on the northern tip of Sumatra, was the first to feel the effects as a 100-foot mountain of water engulfed the area.
The waves continued to travel, and 90 minutes later, Thailand was hit. On the opposite side of the Indian Ocean, on the southeastern coast of India near Chennai, another wave struck. In Sri Lanka, more than 30,000 people were swept away and hundreds of thousands lost their homes.
The earthquake ruptured a 900-mile stretch along the Indian and Australian plates, 31 miles beneath the ocean floor. Rather than a single jolt, however, the quake lasted an intense 10 minutes, releasing as much pent-up energy as several thousand atomic bombs. Researchers estimated that waves over 130 feet tall washed over Sumatra.
Because the earthquake struck far offshore, there was no initial warning, and people were caught off guard.
In the 20 years since, many of the affected communities have rebuilt and implemented warning systems. But the events of 2004 remain a sobering reminder of just how powerful nature can be and the destruction it can bring.
Visit tsunamiday.undrr.org