Sound of Silence - December 26 6:58 PM EST

Tsunami Remembrance

The most powerful earthquake in 40 years erupted under the Indian Ocean near Sumatra on December 26, 2004. It caused giant, deadly waves to crash ashore in nearly a dozen countries, killing tens of thousands. The effects of a tsunami were devastating.

From the moment the deadly waves hammered innocent and unsuspecting people, ADRA was there with lifesaving aid. Today, ADRA remains in that region rebuilding broken lives with more than $35 million worth of aid.

Tsunami Timeline: To explore, roll over the dates

7:58 a.m. (local time)...: Life was going on as normal when the largest earthquake to hit the world in 40 years struck, creating massive 375 mph undersea waves. What happened next was beyond anyone’s worst nightmare. Killer tsunamis and tidal waves rushed the shorelines of Indonesia’s Sumatra Island. In the melee and horror, thousands of families were washed back into the ocean. Others were swept up, their broken bodies left hanging from tree limbs. The residents of Banda Aceh were woken from their sleepy slumber by unimaginable terror. Few would survive.

Within the hour...: On the idyllic resort island of Phuket, Thailand, tourists were preparing for a lazy day of sun and local delicacies. Local villagers had started their day’s work, grateful for the income they could earn during tourist season. By this time, the ferocious waves had made their way to shore. In the following hours and days, Phuket’s communication systems were overloaded with anxious relatives calling from far-off lands to see if their loved ones had survived. And local Thai mourned their own losses.

Two hours later...: Sri Lanka was hit. The worst natural disaster in the island’s history killed at least 30,000 people and left 10,000 more missing. The 15-foot waves whipped the shoreline and receded, leaving fish gasping for their lives. Children and adults, unaware of the impending danger, raced to the beaches to collect the fish. Then the waters returned and swept them away.

Tsunami's continued path...: Without mercy, the tsunamis continued their hellish path of destruction to India, Myanmar, the Maldives, and Somalia. As the death toll rose and the world responded with unmatched generosity, at least 280,000 people died.