What was the impact of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami?

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, triggered by a massive undersea megathrust earthquake, devastated coastal communities across 14 countries on December 26, 2004. It killed hundreds of thousands of people, left over a million homeless, and severely disrupted living conditions and commerce. The unprecedented disaster prompted a massive global humanitarian response with billions in donations.

What we know

• The tsunami caused waves up to 30 meters high that devastated surrounding coasts in the Indian Ocean, killing an estimated 227,898 people across 14 countries. [2]
• Over 1.7 million people were left homeless and property damage was immense across affected regions such as Thailand, where 47 villages were completely destroyed. [4]
• In the Maldives, nearly all islands were hit, flooding two-thirds of the capital and causing damages amounting to roughly 62 percent of the country's GDP in 2004. [5]
• The international community responded to the crisis with a worldwide humanitarian effort, providing donations totaling more than US$14 billion. [2]

Where to go next

• how it workedHow did the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake generate such massive waves?
• a case in pointWhat happened in Aceh during the 2004 tsunami?
• what followedHow did global humanitarian aid unfold after the disaster?
• the bigger pictureWhat are the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history?
• compared withHow did the tsunami impact tourist resorts in Khao Lak, Thailand?
• an unexpected connectionHow did a seafloor earthquake in Asia cause vibrations in Alaska?The Sumatra-Andaman earthquake was so powerful that its seismic waves caused measurable planetary displacements and remotely triggered earthquakes as far away as Alaska.

Sources

• [1]2004 Indian Ocean earthquake (Wikidata Q130754) · CC0 1.0
• [2]2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Effect of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on Thailand · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Effect of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on the Maldives · CC BY-SA 4.0