tsunami
December 28, 2004
This earthquake has become something extremely destructive. Current death toll: 22,000.
The quake struck around Sunday morning. I remember reading about it online and seeing the death count to be around 300. The woman and I went out for lunch and when we came back, the death count was 3000. Then a bit later that day, 10,000. It kept climbing and climbing. Video clips from home cameras have been airing in Japan very frequently. Some people at work recognized places they had been to in Phuket to only see those places completely gone. I’d be very scared had I been in one of those places.
It has struck close to “home”. There are a few teachers from work who were in Thailand at the time. I was told to listen for names of people who were supposed to be in the region so that our foreign personnel department could be contacted… just in case. Shit.
On some news sites, it says the waves traveled at 500mph. That’s faster than airplanes.
The fearful part that I see. With global warming already taking place, sea levels will keep rising. Imagine a series of tsunamis hitting this region again, only the sea level is 1 or 2 meters higher… I’m sure the death count will be even higher.
Maybe the world will unite and start focussing on what the real problems are next year. One can dream.
December 28th, 2004 at 11:02
Heya Jerry, i too am afraid for the world and the environment around me. Vancouver is timed to explode at any odd minute, and i really don’t want to be in Richmond or at the beach when that time comes. Let’s face it, we’re on a fucking fault zone.
I’m also scared for my friends and former coworkers in Thailand. I was the first one to ask Dennis if his family in Malaysia was ok, which promptly got him freaking out which i felt bad about but i don’t where his family is in Malaysia so i couldn’t help but be paranoid. I’m so glad that i didn’t vacation or work there this year and am hoping and praying that your friends and mine are ok.
I was thinking about it, and the sheer poverty of the people there…and i don’t know how they’re going to handle the corpes in 35 degree weather, the disease, the sheer lack of food/supplies/fresh water and medicine, and the destruction of everyone’s homes and livlihoods.
I just feel so bad for these people. My heart goes out to them.
December 28th, 2004 at 14:34
So far one friend has responded. Considering she changed her plans to go to sri lanka last minute she really had a close call. So yeh, 1 down, 3 to respond.
December 28th, 2004 at 22:27
40,000 now…
December 29th, 2004 at 03:57
1 more down, and 2 to go.
At least 2 of my friends are safe. Have you had any word on your friends yet Jerry? I talked to Anson last night who had no clue what was going on, and was so worried by the end of the conversation for his own friends and loved ones. *sigh* I cannot believe this has happened.
December 29th, 2004 at 10:56
50,000…
At work, I’ve heard at least one of the four have reported in. The other ones, don’t know. Thing is, yesterday was the last day of work so we really won’t know anything until the 6th.
December 29th, 2004 at 14:05
60,000. This is becoming a very grim counter.
December 30th, 2004 at 00:23
77,000. It increased by 37,000 in slightly more than 24 hours.
December 30th, 2004 at 00:43
Video footage of the waves from multiple sources. Fucking hell. The page may load slowly. I’m sure there are millions of people just as curious as I am about the whole event.
January 1st, 2005 at 20:08
I think the latest figure is over 120,000 now. This’ll be the last time I update this.