On December 26, 2004,seismographs recorded one of the worst earthquakes in recent history, which measured 9 on the Richter scale and which occurred under the sea off the island of Sumatra, lndonesia. Unfortunately the warnings of the tsunami did not reach people in the area. Waves as high as 10 meters caused great devastation in Sri Lanka, lndia,lndonesia, Maldives,aad in southern Thailand.Tourists were caught on the beach or resting in their hotels,fishermen drowned at sea,and shoppers died in the marketplace.More than 25o,ooo people were killed.