Drone footage shows Indonesia tsunami devastation after 10ft wave wipes WARNINE GRAPHIC PICS

dailymail ^ | 9/30/18 | Miranda Aldersley and Greta Levy and George Martin For Mailonline

[TXnMA]

Both towns (Palu and Dongala) are situated as vulnerable tsunami targets. Palu is at the end of a long, narrow river estuary, which funneled and focused the tsunami right into its center.

The "destroyed fishing village" of Dongala is on the beach, out on a point at the mouth of the estuary -- perfectly sited to catch the full force of a tsunami.

Palu is also a river valley, situated to force the wave to run the maximum distance inland -- with its most important bridge right on the beach -- at the very mouth of the river.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Look at that top photo. You'd think that folks living on the "Ring of Fire" -- on an island in the middle of an ocean prone to tsunamis -- would notice all that nice, undeveloped, elevated ground that surrounds their suicidal townsites...

SMH...
TXnMA
 

[texas booster]

...would notice all that nice, undeveloped, elevated ground that surrounds their suicidal townsites...

When the principal mode of transportation is walking or boating, low flat land close to the river is chosen first and has the most value.

Although one would expect them to be in better shape due to all that walking, maybe modern, Western values will impart themselves on these folks and they will grow up and not just out.

It really seems densely populated. Is their entire life centered on the river?

[DoughtyOne]

Thanks for the photos. The problem with those inlets, is that the water is landlocked, and it swells right up to the lowland focal point. Sad...

[TXnMA]

I recall that, in the latest Japanese tsunamis, numerous Nihonjin told of being saved by simply walking/running up the gently-sloping paths that led to hillside/hilltop Shinto shrines.

My point was not to build landslide-prone hillside cities (a la Californica). Rather, to -- at least -- provide easily-accessible refuge routes. After all, you don't have to climb but few feet to escape a tsunami...

I see nothing of that sort on Sulawesi... And, I don't expect them to build them -- even after this disaster...

TXnMA
 

[TXnMA]

You're welcome...

When you have a tidal or sluggish river at a tsunami impact point, the wave can often run for miles up the reversed stream. Looking back over time, I didn't see any tidal reversals in that stream -- but neither did I see any rapids indicating any significant gradient.

And, that river is clearly "at the neck of the funnel"...

It's not often that you see bridge trusses mangled like that.

TXnMA
 

[DoughtyOne]

The wave seemed to have come at a pretty bad angle. Not sure if it hit just right, but at least bad enough.

I was thinking about tsunamis the other day.

Is there always a big pull out of water, before the tsunami hits?

I know sometimes there is.

[Trailerpark Badass]

Inshallah.

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

Most of the people I have talked to that went through the tsunami that hit Cresent City in 1964 said most of the damage was done when the water receded afterwards.

[PLMerite]

“...would notice all that nice, undeveloped, elevated ground that surrounds their suicidal townsites... “

Probably a dozing volcano...

[DoughtyOne]

That could be true.

Going in it may dislodge a lot of stuff, and then coming back out, it all rakes the area.

[glock rocks]

bkmk

[kanawa]

Neptune kicks allah’s butt

[SunkenCiv]

Whoa.