Wave of Destruction: Asian Tsunami Disaster

Ship Wreck

Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia (Jan. 1, 2005) - Boats washed ashore near local businesses in down town Aceh, Sumatra following a massive Tsunami that struck the area on the 26th of December 2004.

Land of Devastation

Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia (Jan. 1, 2005) – Vast amounts of trash and debris (note the vehicle in the middle of the picture) line the streets near local homes in downtown Banda Aceh, Sumatra. This area was heavily affected by the Tsunami.

Beyond Imagination…

Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia (Jan. 1, 2005) – One can really get a grasp of the impact and mass destruction caused by the Tsunami on. Trash debris, rubble fill the area; only the ruins of a house remain standing after the Tsunami crashes through the town of Aceh, Sumatra.

Picking Up the Pieces

Survivors try to save Friday, Dec. 31, 2004, whatever is left from the rubble of the devastated commercial district of Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh province, six days after the earthquake-triggered Tsunami killed at least 80,000 people in the province alone in northwest Indonesia and raised the death toll across Asia to more than 100,000. More bodies are found as soldiers and rescuers began the massive cleanup of the city.

Relief Efforts Underway

Relief efforts are underway, as many around the world are joining in the effort to assist those affected by the Asian Tsunami Disaster. Two Indonesian men from a small village reach to catch food and milk from an approaching helicopter assigned to Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Two (HS-2) “Golden Falcons” embarked aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). The helicopter was unable to land because of extensive flooding that still exists in the region. HS-2 is transporting supplies, bringing in disaster relief teams and supporting humanitarian airlifts to Tsunami-stricken costal regions.