Earthquake

[flamesfever]

Regarding the wildlife and their ability to escape the flooded area, it reminds me of the time our springer spaniel decided to have her seven pups in my clothes closet. Our house is a bi-level with a finished basement, and the floor of the clothes closet forms a sump area with its floor about 6 inches below the main basement floor level. The dog kept the pups in the closet for about a week and then late one night grabbed each pup by the scruff of the neck and hauled them all upstairs. The following day we had a torrential rainstorm and the closet filled with about 3 to 4 inches of water. This happened more than 30 years ago and I recall, at the time, marvelling at the dogs ability to anticipate the flooding. The closet has only flooded twice in the last 36 1/2 years that we have occupied our house here in Calgary.

[JiriHrdina]

CBC Newsworld is showing unreal new footage of the Tsunamis hitting a beach. Probably the most incredible I have seen so far. Check out there news (on the hour) to see it.

[kipperiggy]

Death toll reaches 150,000... this is one of the saddest tragedies that I'll probably ever see in my lifetime, and probably one of the saddest for lifetimes to come.

Clicky here

[TheCommodoreAfro]

Originally posted by RougeUnderoos+Jan 1 2005, 06:23 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (RougeUnderoos @ Jan 1 2005, 06:23 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-No I.D.@Dec 31 2004, 01:48 PM
I haven't read this entire thread so unsure if it was brought up, but did anyone see the stories about the wildlife in that area? I can't remember what station I was watching, CNN maybe, where they were talking about the many different types of wildlife in that area and how nearly no significant losses were found in the population of their wildlife. Apparently the earthquake could be felt by most land-dwelling animals and they all went for higher ground. Pretty amazing story if you ask me. There's probably alot of animals out there not only smarter than the human race gives them credit for, but maybe a bit smarter than many members of the human race itself.

I saw Jack Hanna (the somewhat hyper guy with the animals that goes on The Tonight Show) and had a rather strange theory. He said that the birds that prey on the fish saw what was happening and they took off for land sreeching and cawing and the other animals caught on to this and realized something was up and and so they headed for the hills. He said it was much like how zebras will pay attention to the giraffes and vice versa and they know when something is up (like a lion) just by paying attention so they have sort of an animal warning system. Humans apparently have lost the ability and we don't pay attention to the animal grapevine anymore.

I don't know how true that is but that's what he said.

Somewhere else (or it might have been Hanna) said that elephants have some kick-ass hearing and big ears and they could have heard it coming so they got out of Dodge. To go back to the theory above, if all the other animals see that the elephants are afraid of something they probably can figure it out pretty fast that they should be scared as well. Wild animals are lucky in that they are not dumb like people who might go the other way to see what all the fuss is about.

Another theory -- my own, is that animals can run fast or fly away. They do seem to have a sixth sense about some of this stuff, but in this instance being able to run like hell is probably the best defense. [/b][/quote]
I actually believe this "sixth sense" thing for animals. I lived in Japan through the Kobe earthquake (350km away) and was woken up 10 minutes before I shook by braying cats and dogs. I was p*ssed because it was before 6am and it was freezing outside and was going to shout at the animals when the earth rattled...

[JiriHrdina]

The more I read about this the more nightmarish it gets. The latest story I read (sorry no link) was about how citizens in some areas are having fight off hungry Crocs that have been washed ashore.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Originally posted by Cowperson@Dec 31 2004, 01:18 PM
On another front, I found this interesting, buried deep in a National Post story, the religious reward/punishment mechanism coming into play to reinforce its hold on people in the most dire of circumstances.

In Banda Aceh, on Sumatra island's devastated northwestern coast, Muslims held traditional Friday prayers at a 390-year-old mosque amid the stench of death from thousands of bodies.

"Allah still loves us, but he is testing us," cleric Ali told thousands of worshippers at the Jamii Lungbato mosque. "This is also a warning. We have become arrogant and strayed too far from his teachings."

http://www.canada.com/national/story.html?...ce-8cffba2cf4f0

Cowperson

Yikes........

It's not Allah, it's mother nature.

Interesting angle, nevertheless.

[Shawnski]

Here is a link to a site that shows before and after satelite photos of Banda Aceh in Indonesia.

Truly sad stuff.

and a good graphic of the event....

[Displaced Flames fan]

The amount of energy involved is truly unfathomable.

I've seen some disasters very up close. The destruction just doesn't compare on a large scale.

[Neeper]

I can't remember where I read this but, a whole civialization (or race) of people might have been wiped out. There is a small tribe that lives on an island off India. They've been living the exact same way for thousands of years, without any outside interference. There was an estimated 100-200 of them, and now they might be gone.

List of aid donors

A partial list of the countries pledging aid for tsunami victims totalling nearly $1 billion US (all figures in U.S. dollars). The figures are based on United Nations data published Friday, but they include updates of donation changes from the countries themselves:

* The United States: $350 million.
* Britain: $95 million
* Sweden: $75.5 million
* Spain: $68 million
* China: $60 million
* France: $57 million
* Australia: $46.7 million.
* Canada: $33 million.
* Japan: $30 million.
* Germany: $27 million
* Switzerland: $21.9 million
* Denmark: $18,1 million
* Norway: $16.6 million
* Portugal: $11 million
* Qatar: $10 million
* Saudi Arabia: $10 million
* Singapore: $3.6 million
* New Zealand: $3.5 million
* Finland: $3.3 million
* Kuwait: $2 million
* United Arab Emirates: $2 million
* Ireland: $1.4 million
* Italy: $1.3 million
* Turkey: $1.25 million
* Czech Republic: $750,000
* Iran: $627,000
* South Korea: $600,000
* Hungary: $411,000
* Greece: $397,000
* Luxembourg: $265,000
* Monaco: $133,000
* Mexico: $100,000
* Nepal: $100,000
* Estonia: $42,000

It's great to see so many different nations pitch in. Mother nature doesn't discriminate. We shouldn't either.

[Cowperson]

PHUKET, Thailand -- Foreign tourists frolicked Saturday in the gentle waves of the Andaman Sea, riding jet skis, posing for snapshots and sunbathing topless on the sand.

Such scenes were common on the resort island before last Sunday's deadly tsunami. But after the devastation, such carefree scenes seemed almost surreal.

Aime Yodkaew, sweeping away debris, can't quite believe that, for some, life goes on as usual.

http://www.canada.com/national/story.html?...0a-36c4afe66194

AND, a little English girl is being hailed as a tsunami heroine after warning the adults a tidal wave was about to strike Phuket.

PHUKET, Thailand - Quick-thinking 10-year-old Tilly Smith is being hailed as a hero after saving her parents and dozens of fellow vacationers from the deadly tsunami - thanks to a school geography lesson.

Tilly warned the doubting adults at a resort that a massive tidal wave was about to strike - just minutes before the deadly tide rushed in and turned the resort into rubble. Tilly's family, from Surrey, England, was enjoying a day at Maikhao Beach last Sunday when the sea rushed out and began to bubble.

The adults were curious, but Tilly froze in horror.

"Mummy, we must get off the beach now!" she told her mother. "I think there's going to be a tsunami."

The adults didn't understand until Tilly added the magic words: "A tidal wave."

Her warning spread like wildfire. Within seconds, the beach was deserted — and it turned out to be one of the only places along the shores of Phuket where no one was killed or seriously injured.

http://www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/37579.htm

Cowperson

[dangler22]

One of my best friends is a foreign aid worker in Sri Lanka and I freaked when I heard about the quake/tsunami. Luckily she was on the opposite side of the disaster but she has alot more work to do now. 150,000 deaths is unfathomable. what a tragedy.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Originally posted by Neeper@Dec 31 2004, 11:49 PM
* The United States: $350 million.
* Britain: $95 million
* Sweden: $75.5 million
* Spain: $68 million
* China: $60 million
* France: $57 million
* Australia: $46.7 million.
* Canada: $33 million.
* Japan: $30 million.
* Germany: $27 million
* Switzerland: $21.9 million
* Denmark: $18,1 million
* Norway: $16.6 million
* Portugal: $11 million
* Qatar: $10 million
* Saudi Arabia: $10 million
* Singapore: $3.6 million
* New Zealand: $3.5 million
* Finland: $3.3 million
* Kuwait: $2 million
* United Arab Emirates: $2 million
* Ireland: $1.4 million
* Italy: $1.3 million
* Turkey: $1.25 million
* Czech Republic: $750,000
* Iran: $627,000
* South Korea: $600,000
* Hungary: $411,000
* Greece: $397,000
* Luxembourg: $265,000
* Monaco: $133,000
* Mexico: $100,000
* Nepal: $100,000
* Estonia: $42,000

The one country that really stands out for me is Mexico giving only $100,00.

Is it just me, or does that seem a little stingy??

I know Mexico isn't the richest country in the world, but can't they give more than Nepal?

[Abstract]

Originally posted by KootenayFlamesFan+Jan 2 2005, 12:15 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (KootenayFlamesFan @ Jan 2 2005, 12:15 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Neeper@Dec 31 2004, 11:49 PM
* The United States: $350 million.
# # * Britain: $95 million
# # * Sweden: $75.5 million
# # * Spain: $68 million
# # * China: $60 million
# # * France: $57 million
# # * Australia: $46.7 million.
# # * Canada: $33 million.
# # * Japan: $30 million.
# # * Germany: $27 million
# # * Switzerland: $21.9 million
# # * Denmark: $18,1 million
# # * Norway: $16.6 million
# # * Portugal: $11 million
# # * Qatar: $10 million
# # * Saudi Arabia: $10 million
# # * Singapore: $3.6 million
# # * New Zealand: $3.5 million
# # * Finland: $3.3 million
# # * Kuwait: $2 million
# # * United Arab Emirates: $2 million
# # * Ireland: $1.4 million
# # * Italy: $1.3 million
# # * Turkey: $1.25 million
# # * Czech Republic: $750,000
# # * Iran: $627,000
# # * South Korea: $600,000
# # * Hungary: $411,000
# # * Greece: $397,000
# # * Luxembourg: $265,000
# # * Monaco: $133,000
# # * Mexico: $100,000
# # * Nepal: $100,000
# # * Estonia: $42,000

The one country that really stands out for me is Mexico giving only $100,00.

Is it just me, or does that seem a little stingy??

I know Mexico isn't the richest country in the world, but can't they give more than Nepal? [/b][/quote]
Personally i think germany's is pretty low. Its worth bearing in mind that nearly half of Britains is through public donations rather than government money though. Sweden's is just incredible. And good on Estonia, Nepal et al. Might not seem much compared to other countries but thats still shelter for thousands of people. Again i emplore people to donate whatever they can afford. No doubt very soon there'll be another big story in our thoughts but this is a catastrophic event that shouldnt be cast aside when the next story hits.

[Resolute 14]

Probably 1 million pesos.

Also, that list is already massively out of date. ie: Japan has already pumped up it's donation to us$500 million. The total contribution from nations has since topped $2 billion. For all we know, Mexico has also upped it's contribution.

[snowdude]

Canada's will also go higher because i read in the Globe yesterday that the CDN Gov't is going to match the amount of private donations...the Globe didn't say anything about a cap at any amount either

[Cowperson]

Fish sales in Sri Lanka plummet 90% as consumers worry aquatic creatures dined on human victims of the Tsunami.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/01/02/...ain664262.shtml

Cowperson

[Neeper]

Updated list donor list:
(Million dollars USD)

African Union 0.10
Algeria 2.00
Australia 46.48
Austria 2.72
Bahrain 2.00
Britain 96.00
Bulgaria 0.14
Canada 33.00
China 60.42
Denmark 54.88
EU 40.81
Finland 6.12
France 56.18
Germany 27.21
Hungary 0.27
Ireland 13.62
Italy 95.00
Japan 500.00
Kuwait 10.00
Libya 2.00
Netherlands 34.00
New Zealand 3.60
Norway 16.53
Poland 1.00
Portugal 10.88
Qatar 25.00
Saudi Arabia 10.00
Singapore 3.10
Slovakia 0.23
Slovenia 0.11
South Korea 5.00
Spain 68.02
Sweden 80.00
Switzerland 23.81
Taiwan 5.25
Turkey 1.25
UAE 2.00
USA 350.00
Venezuela 2.00
World Bank 250.00
TOTAL: 1,940.73