I was amazed by the tens of thousands who died who had spent their entire lives living right near the ocean. I would have thought that even stories told by their elders would include stories of tsunamis and warning signs. I mean, even I, a desert dweller, know that if you see the sea suddenly being sucked out way beyond a low tide range, you run the other way.
I know. We had a camp for 20 years in the Adirondecks on 4th Lake and there were several Indian reservations nearby that we used to visit often.
The natives were very in tune with weather patterns, clouds, animal movement, etc.
Elders' Knowledge of the Oceans Spares Thai 'sea Gypsies' From Tsunami Disaster