Zen’s Tsunami Page
MEDEX Objectives Home: http://faculty.washington.edu/alexbert/MEDEX/
WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER
The day after 26 December 2004, a huge tsunami struck the Indian Ocean. Hundreds of thousands of lives were lost and many more will feel the lasting impact of such devastation for years to come.
The people were as kind and generous as they've always been, but now they start conversations by telling you how many they've lost. Even children start off with who they've lost - they're parents, siblings, friends ... sometimes everyone. Many people talk of ghosts that wander the streets, sit in cars, or carry on daily activities of life. Some of the children and adults have blank looks on their faces, responding without emotion and a few utterly catatonic.
One day, the Thai News reported a rumor that another wave was on its way. Distrought to complete panic, most of the school emptied as children ran to join their families and run try to outrun the revisiting terror.
The effects of the tsunami will not be short lived.
Thailand
Most of these picture were taken in the fishing village of Nam Kaem (น้ำเค็ม), which sits on the coast about 13km southwest of the District of Takuapa (อำเภอ ตะกั่วป่า), in the Province of Phang Nga (จังหวัด พังงา). The Province of Phang Nga (จังหวัด พังงา) sits on the southern peninsula of Thailand, just north the island of Phuket (จังหวัด ภูเก็ต). See map below for more information.
Sa-wat-dii khrap (สวัสดีครับ) - Hello
Thai survivor in newly constructed temporary housing
A fishing boat in the center of Nam Kaem
A Buddhist monk taking a smoke break
Cleanup on the shore of a what was once a large fishing town
Girl
Sisters
Refugee version of Laugh In
Housework
Flongs (foreigners) are funny to look at
Now you see it
Now you don't
Before cleanup
Morgue - thousands of bodies are moved indoors to delay decomposition and are replaced with thousands of forensic photos
Temporary housing ready for the monsoons that will soon soak the land
Salutations
Sexy guy on grounded boat
Kids
Dog takes shelter from the hot sun under a small boat left by tsunami
Family sits in front of camp store
SuperGirl
Survivor
Widow
Honey, there's a boat in the back yard
I once caught a fish this big
Girl with her new toothbrush from the UW School of Dentistry
Swadee Ka [goodbye]
Maps
The southeastern region of Thailand was overtaken by several large waves that penetrated far inland, taking thousands of lives.
Internet Resources
CDC Tsunami Travelers Guide
http://www.cdc.gov/travel/other/tsunami/guidance_travelers_tsunami.htm
WHO Asia Tsunami Sitreps
http://www.who.int/hac/crises/international/asia_tsunami/sitrep/en/
WHO Thailand Sitreps
http://w3.whosea.org/en/Section23/Section1108/Section1835/Section1851_8186.htm
Thailand map
http://www.thailandguidebook.com/map/index.html
Sumatra Rapid Assessment Form http://www.humanitarianinfo.org/sumatra/assessments/others/doc/RA%20Form%20050107_.doc
Iraq Rapid Assessment Form
http://www.hiciraq.org/assessments/RAPID/documents/index.asp#Rapid%20Assessment%20Form
http://www.tsunamivolunteer.net
A group of volunteers that facilitate the distributions of goods
and other volunteers. Located near Khao Lak Nature resort with a big cloth
banner that can be seen from the highway.
http://www.thaitogether.org
This group is working to bring other groups together. They have an extensive directory of other organizations operating in Thailand and facilitate meetings.
http://homepage.mac.com/demark/tsunami/1.html
Before and After images
Thai Phrases (update for better or worse by yours truly)
http://wikitravel.org/en/Thai_phrasebook
Thai-English/English-Thai with transliteration http://www.thai2english.com/
Lextron Thai-English Online Dictionary
http://lexitron.nectec.or.th/
Video of tsunami
http://www.infovlad.net/index.php?p=119
Videos of tsunami
Updated 7 Dec 2003