By Naika Gooneratne
In 2004, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake near the Sumatra Island in Indonesia set the stage for the worst tsunami Sri Lanka would ever face.
A tsunami is a natural disaster which is created through earthquakes on the seafloor. A piece of the earth beneath the ocean suddenly shifts upward. This is similar to when you switch on a light. When you press one end, the other end pops up. Similarly, this same popping up effect happens in the ocean floor as well, resulting in the creation of a wave. It seems like an innocent wave at first, but travelling at 500 mph, it becomes a force to be reckoned with. As it gets closer to land, it begins to slow down due to the shallow water. As a result, the wave grows in height. It is at this point people near the coast realise why the sea went back in.
The 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami didn’t affect only Sri Lanka, but also affected a whopping 14 countries including India, Malaysia, and Indonesia. As a result, the fact that a lot of countries were affected shows how dangerous it was. When the wave hit Sri Lanka, it hit the eastern and southern coast. As a result, districts in the east such as Jaffna, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, and Ampara were hit severely while southern districts such as Galle, Matara, and Hambantota were also hit in the same way.
The tsunami wave that hit Sri Lanka resulted in the loss of both lives and property. It could be considered as the natural disaster that truly shook Sri Lanka. It was following this disaster that Sri Lanka started taking measures to prevent such a horrendous event from occurring again. As a result, Sri Lanka is now more prepared in handling disasters with its novel early warning systems and response mechanisms.
However, the tsunami had a massive impact on Sri Lanka. The tsunami resulted in many people being displaced and homeless, while infrastructure such as roads and railways were also destroyed. This placed a heavy burden on the Government to lead the way towards Sri Lanka’s recovery with response and relief efforts needed to be swift, alongside government-sponsored measures to rebuild destroyed property and infrastructure. All in all, the 2004 tsunami took a huge toll on Sri Lanka.
In addition to artificial or human ways to mitigate the effects of a tsunami, there are also natural ways to reduce its effects. The presence of sand dunes acts as a natural tsunami proof wall. If you’ve ever gone to the beach and seen sand mountains, those are what you call sand dunes. Alongside sand dunes, living coral reefs also reduce the effects of a tsunami. This is because the bottom of the wave would be disrupted by the numerous corals by causing friction, resulting in its force being reduced. Additionally, the presence of mangroves could also reduce the force of the tsunami wave as well. Therefore, protecting these natural defences are important in reducing the effects of a tsunami.
In conclusion, the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami shook Sri Lanka to its very core. However, it acted as the cornerstone in preparing Sri Lanka for any future catastrophes.
The sea is coming in! The sea is coming in!
27 Dec 2020
The sea is coming in! The sea is coming in!
27 Dec 2020
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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!