Excerpts from Books and Wikipedia
"Horror swept across the rim of the Indian Ocean when a tsunami, or massive tidal wave, brought death and destruction to the coastal settlements in its path. It was created by an underwater earthquake, measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale, which caused the seabed off the coast of the Indonesian territory of Aceh to jump some 33 feet. The devastating tsunami, traveling at nearly 500 mph, was the biggest seen in 40 years. The coast of Aceh and its capital Banda Aceh were all but destroyed. . . . The catastrophe shocked the world and within six months $12 billion in aid had been pledged to the victims." [Furtado: 1001 Days]