Phuket was declared an emergency area. Three huge waves struck the province around 8 a.m.,10 a.m. and 1 p.m. People panicked as the waves rolled in,sucking tourists into the water,knocking down power poles,upro trees,crashing into houses,bungalows and hotels,and tossing about cars. Boats were swept onto beaches and roads became impassable. Most of the casualties were in Phangngan