For Days, Months and Years Later People Lived in Fear of the Ocean, Reports Gospel for Asia

Tsunamis happen more often than we think. Just this year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recorded four. In 2016, it recorded seven. In 2014, it recorded 11. Now that’s a lot of tsunamis. Thankfully, the majority haven’t been large enough to cause extensive damage, with waves cresting less than a foot above sea level. What a relief! But then there are times when the waves, upon reaching shore, reach heights of 10, 30, even 300 feet.

Tall walls of water crescendo and collide into coastlines, coursing through every crevice, collecting chunk after chunk of sea-side homes and business, sweeping away thousands of pounds of metal in the shapes of buses and other motor vehicles.

Husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, children and grandparents run, their backs to foaming black water that threatens to steal their lives.

Tsunamis. One of the “costliest and deadliest forces of nature.”

The United Nations declared Nov. 5 as World Tsunami Awareness Day because of the amount of devastation this natural disaster creates. The day is attributed as being the “brainchild” of Japan, which is noted for experiencing a significantly higher volume of tsunamis than other countries.

But tsunamis can happen anywhere—including America. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), “Many places along the U.S. coastline fall in tsunami danger zones. The most destructive tsunamis in the United States and territories have happened along the coasts of Alaska, American Samoa, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Puerto Rico, and Washington.”

The deadliest of all tsunamis happened in the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004, and affected 14 countries. Thousands upon hundreds of thousands of people felt its impact—especially those who are part of the GFA world.

Gospel for Asia-supported workers serving in Sri Lanka and India experienced the fatal tidal waves and lived in its aftermath. The story below is about one Gospel for Asia-supported pastor named Sagardut who served in Tamil Nadu, India, when the tsunami made impact.


After the Waves Left

“The ocean is coming! The ocean is coming!”

Sagardut heard the frightened shouts as he stood inside the church building. The Gospel for Asia-supported pastor was preparing for Sunday worship, but the commotion outside drew him away. He stepped through the church doors and saw people running, crying and screaming in terror of the danger that loomed on the horizon.

“The ocean is coming!”

As the crowds ran away, Sagardut jumped on his motorbike to investigate what was causing all of this chaos. The nearer he got to the villages by the seashore, the more devastation he saw.

The first wave had reached Tamil Nadu, India, where he was serving. The second wave was on its way.

“The ocean is coming!”

Sagardut could see the black wall of water towering 30 feet in the air. He was only 300 yards away from a force devouring houses, cars and people in seconds.

This is going to kill everybody, he thought.

Sagardut quickly turned his motorbike around and joined the masses fleeing to save their lives.


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