Panic before the storm (a terribly sad series of three pictures taken as the tsunami approaches)

Sydney Morning Herald ^ | 12/30/04

[dead]

Tourists run for their lives as the first of six tsunamis starts to roll towards Hat Rai
Lay Beach, near Krabi in southern Thailand. One woman runs towards the waves.
Photo: AFP

The woman continues to run as the wave advances.
Photo: AFP

With the waves engulfing boats, the woman makes contact with her group. It is not known if they survived.
Photo: AFP

[EternalVigilance]

The photographer has shifted quite a bit to the left by the third pic. You'll notice the boats are different. That's why the hills are out of the shot.

[SolutionsOnly]

I have nothing but harsh words for armchair quarterbacks and their 20/20 hindsight. Tsunami's are way outside the realm of the familiar. By the time one can finish uttering the words 'What is going on?' - it's too late. Things simply happen too fast, the distances to safety too great.

[Strategerist]

actually they said the waves were moving at 500 MPH....

They're not moving that fast that close to shore. They only move that fast in the open ocean when they're a few inches high.

[dfwgator]

Yep, it's pretty much like getting hit by a Mach Truck going 60 MPH.

[dead]

If the blue area is a land mass, wouldn't it still be visible in the 3rd photo?

The perspective keeps following the woman as she moves out and to the left.

The hills are still there, they’re just no longer in the shot.

[kidd]

Think of it this way - on the other side of the wave front, there is no trough (as you would normally expect). The top of the wave is the new height of the ocean (for the next hour or so)

[nhoward14]

The photographer panned left where the mountain is not in frame. Notice the position of the white raft in the foreground.

[hershey]

You'd run for the hills except if your kids were in the water, of course. Scarey pictures,(understatement of the year.)

[MikefromOhio]

Those waves look to be going faster....I would say they covered quite a few miles just in that picture (about 3 or so) in about 30 seconds or less....that equates to about 360 MPH give or take...

no chance if you were on the beach..its just going too fast....

[hoosiermama]

The woman is running toward the five people (her family) in picture three....Notice her body language as the wave overtakes them in three....

[fso301]

If they had experience with large surf, they would know to flatten themselves on the bottom just as the wave hits.

[Hand em their arse]

"After the first two pictures, I just thought the woman was being an incredible dumbass thinking she’s having fun."

I don't necessarily thimk she's having fun. I think she's running toward her family. Trying to put myself in her shoes, if my two little boys and wife were out there, I'd probably end up doiung the same thing. I couldn't really think about my own fate without first thinking of there's, ya know?

[EternalVigilance]

You betcha.

[dfwgator]

In essence a tsunami is a very rapid rise in the water level, a flash flood on steroids.

[MikefromOhio]

it doesnt matter though as those waves would appear to be moving at a higher clip than 60 MPH....
at least that is my guess....

I saw a video clip on CNN International and the water there was estimated to have been moving at 400 MPH....

[Lazamataz]

The woman is running toward the five people (her family) in picture three....Notice her body language as the wave overtakes them in three....

I'm reading horror and resignation.

[freeperfromnj]

Wow. I didn't realize that six tsunamis hit.

[Lazamataz]

If they had experience with large surf, they would know to flatten themselves on the bottom just as the wave hits.

Might work for normal waves.

Doubt it would work here.

[redhead]

"That's interesting! 3-4 foot waves are common on the ocean, so I would never have suspected that the tsunami that caused this much devastation would have a wave height that small. I was envisioning these 50 feet walls of water...."

It's not the height of the wave, it's the velocity. They travel at incredible speeds.

[Nov3]

They build as they get closer to shore. It effectively will raise the ocean level and cause a storm surge similar to a hurricane. Even if it stays 6-10 feet a wall of water 6-10 foot high could ruin your day.