The year 2004 remains one of the darkest years for all for the islands and nations located in and around the Indian ocean. That is because of the powerful earthquake and the Tsunami that originated under the deep waters of Andaman and Sumatra. It occurred on the 26th of December at 07.58 (UTC+7) and it left a deeper dent on many of the people’s lives directly and indirectly! Registering at 9.1-9.3 on the Richter scale, the earthquake created waves that grew up to 30 meters and they obliterated everything that stood in their paths.
Unfortunately, the island of Sri Lanka which was located approximately 1700 kilometers from the earth quake’s origin, stood right in the path of destruction and it had to suffer its wrath. The tsunami first hit the eastern coastline of the country, and subsequently reached the north and the southern coastlines. 30957 lives were lost and 5637 people were reported missing on this dreadful day and millions of people still suffer the repercussions of this event. Though most of the country has recovered from the damages, it has left an unhealable scar with sadness and trauma in the minds of the people who survived it. The day will never be forgotten and those who were lost will be remembered forever…
In order to be a stark reminder of this day, to educate the people and to help them survive another calamity like this, numerous centres and museums were built around the island by the government and by locals. One such site is the Community Tsunami Education Center & Museum which is located in a small town called Peraliya that situated approximately 5 kilometres away from Hikkaduwa. The museum has images of the tragic event and has numerous exhibits that teach you about tsunamis. By visiting here you would get meaningful insights on how it occurs, how it’s measured, and how you could safeguard your self during such an unfortunate event.
Although visiting here could leave you with sorrowful memories, knowing what hardships a nation has endured in the past, and knowing how you could avoid or be safe during such an event is indeed a travel experience that you should consider having!
