Quake, Tsunami Kills More Than 22,000 In Asia

[bignick]

From what I hear, the total is fast approacing 150,000...well beyond comprehension...

 

[Lisa]

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[MA-Caver]

This is from a caving discussion board... interesting.

In the news reports following the recent tsunami's devastation I ran across a few reports of a colony of bats flying out of their cave shortly before the tsunami hit in Galle. There are also reports of other area wildlife going to higher ground before the tsunami hit. Most are attributed to the animals "sixth sense" of impending danger. Here is one of the recent accounts from an eye witness:
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Panic in Sri Lankan paradise

Galle, December 31, 2004 Agence France-Presse

Sri Lanka's famous Taprobane Island, a speck of palm fringed paradise just off the southern coast, was lashed by the deadly tsunami, leaving its visitors stranded but its world-renowned villa spared.

Owner Geoffrey Dobbs, who threw the historical villa's doors open to well-heeled paying guests after refurbishing it in the 1990s, was swimming off the island when the massive waves struck, his mother said on Thursday.

Marie Dobbs said that the first sign of something being awry was a colony of bats flying out of their cave near the rocky island, which is normally reached on foot from the mainland through ankle-to-knee-high water.

"We thought that was strange, bats don't fly in the day time," she said.

Then, "the ocean just rose, rose, rose, like a wall."

 

[MA-Caver]

Right now the count is around 150,000. That is the direct result of the tsunami/earthquake. Now consider that the deathtoll will be higher in the months to come due to disease, starvation and other side-effects of the disaster.
It's not over yet.

 

[MA-Caver]

More quakes happening in the last 48 hours.
This is a very cool site . Shows to the minute (well, kinda) data on earthquakes across the globe. Just recently more quakes were hit in India and the general region of the Tsunami.

 

[clapping_tiger]

Before and after satalite pictures. 11 Pictures total.



http://homepage.mac.com/demark/tsunami/8.html

 

[Corporal Hicks]

My heart goes out to all those affected, families, friends and those who have suffered lost. My brother friend is still out there and he hasnt heard from him yet, even after all this time.

This just goes to show that we should not misjudge nature, in this time of crisis its nice to know that the Western World reacts so well to this disaster and pulls itself together as one to aid those people out there and at home who have been affected!

.

 

[Ceicei]

Before and after satalite pictures. 11 Pictures total.



http://homepage.mac.com/demark/tsunami/8.html

They added 3 more to this website for a total of 14 before/after pictures so far. All I can say is, WOW! The devastation is amazing.

- Ceicei

 

[[email protected]]

Just wanted to say that I am organizing country-wide local MA events for those of us who study or teach styles (Kali, Silat, etc.) from the Pan-Indian Ocean region. I suspect that our help will continue to be needed in that area of the world long after the tsunami crisis has shifted from our front pages and the fore of our collective consciousness.



Rather than spending $70 on say, an ephemeral Valentine's dinner, chocolates or flowers, we can donate it to a local workshop on Sunday, 2/13 instead. We’ll show our romantic sides in a more meaningful way - a hand made card, a poem, a walk on the beach - while assisting our local MA studios by showing-the-love with cash. The goal: help sustain the survivors and those hoping to remain survivors.



If you are interested in helping, please email me at [email protected]. It would be great if people can commit to donating some teaching time on this date, and if students could encourage their schools to do so. Obviously many details need to be ironed out, but I want to get a sense of who is interested in the idea. Let’s do all we can to help the people to whom we owe such a debt of gratitude for their development of these arts.



Thanks