1. Indian Ocean Tsunami
On December 26, 2004, while many people were finishing up the celebration of Christmas, countries along the Indian Ocean were experiencing the horror of a tsunami, caused by a massive earthquake earlier in the day. Waves grew as tall as 30 feets as they beat the shoreline of the coastal countries. This devastating tsunami yielded a death toll of 225,000 with more than 200,000 casualties reported in Indonesia alone. Countries hit by this tsunami also sustained environmental damage that ruined many of the countries’ main industries.Â
