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List of Tsunami Prone Areas in India
Tsunamis are unpredictable that occur due to seismic waves or earthquakes. This natural disaster can cause harm to lives and properties.
Hence, it is important to keep yourself prepared for natural calamities. This includes checking the tsunami alerts made by the government, insuring valuables and following the safety guidelines.
Keep reading to find the list of tsunami-prone areas in India and the states prone to suffer the most damages. This will help you implement the needed disaster management methods.
What Is a Tsunami?
A tsunami is a series of large waves generated by an impulsive and violent undersea disturbance or activities near the coast or in the ocean. An earthquake causes a sudden displacement of the seafloor leading to formation of big tsunami waves.
These waves travel out of the origin area and can be damaging when it reaches the shore.
Tsunami waves often look like walls of water that can attack the shoreline. Usually, the waves keep coming every 5 to 60 minutes.
You should know that the first wave isn’t the largest. However, the following waves can be fatal and bigger in size. This is because the first wave floods inland and retreats seaward, exposing the seafloor.
Since tsunami can be fatal for humans and properties, it is essential to take precautions at the earliest. For instance, you can note down the list of tsunami-affected areas on the Indian map.
What Are the Tsunami Prone Areas in India?
The government has identified a list of areas prone to tsunami in India on eastern coast. These include -
- Puri
- Kakinada
- Machilipatnam
- Nizampatnam-Vetapalem
- Chennai
- Cuddalore-Pondicherry
- Rameshwaram
- Thoothukudi
- Alappuzha-Chavara
- Kochi.
You should know that tsunamis aren’t common in India due to their geography. However, India isn’t immune to tsunamis.
Past records show the tsunami-affected areas in India that suffered a major blow. These tsunamis originated in the Indian Ocean.
Which Areas Were Affected by Tsunamis in India Till Date?
The Indian coastal belt hasn’t experienced many tsunamis in the past. However, there have been waves accompanying earthquake activity over the North Bay of Bengal.
A table comprising details of tsunamis that have hit the Indian coast till date is given below.
Incident | Occurrence | Impact |
Tsunami caused by an earthquake in the Bay of Bengal | 12th April 1762 | A tsunami wave of 1.8m |
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake beneath the car Nicobar | 31st December 1881 | East coast of India and Andaman Nicobar suffered huge damages |
Eruption of Krakatoa volcano | 27th August 1883 | A 2m tsunami was reported in Chennai. |
An 8.1 magnitude earthquake in Andaman | 26th June 1941 | States on eastern coast of India suffered the disaster. |
An earthquake in Makran subduction zone | 27th November 1945 | The western coast of India suffered damages. |
The strongest tidal wave registered in India that reached a height of 17.30 meters | 26th December 2004 | Chennai was one of the most major cities to be affected by a tsunami. The death toll in India alone was above 18,000. |
The states which were severely affected by the tsunami that occurred in 2004 are as follows-
- Kerala- Alleppey and Earnakulam
- Tamil Nadu- Cuddalore, Kancheepuram, Chennai, Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Villupuram, Thiruvarur, Ramanathapuram, Thanjavur
- Andhra Pradesh- Nellore, Prakasam, Guntur. Visakhapatnam, East and West Godavari
- Pondicherry
- Orissa
The mentioned list of tsunami-affected areas in India and the impact prove that damages caused by this calamity are severe. It is impossible to avoid or control damages caused by a tsunami.
However, you can take certain measures to reduce post-damages. For instance, preparing an emergency kit or ensuring valuables.
Insurance ensures both an insurance holder and his/her property is compensated with funds in a situation like death or damages caused by natural calamities.
Insurance Products People Residing in the Tsunami-prone Areas Should Buy
These are some insurance policies that individuals residing in tsunami-prone areas can check.
- Home insurance: Home insurance offers coverage to a house and its content from unforeseen circumstances. This situation includes damages caused by natural calamities such as fire, earthquake, storm, flood, landslide, etc. and man-made activities such as burglary, theft, terrorism, riot, etc.
- Vehicle insurance: It covers a vehicle for damages against fire, accidents, natural disasters, injury to an owner and theft. In addition, it also covers any injuries or damages caused to a third party.
- Life insurance: If you reside in any of the states mentioned in the list of tsunami-prone areas in India, then getting life insurance should be a priority. Life insurance is a contract between you and an insurance company. An insurer promises to pay a lump sum known as a death benefit to your beneficiary after your death.
The above list of tsunamis in India and details of their impact can help you adopt disaster management techniques.
After the tragedy in 2004, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) is working to predict the risk zones. They can calculate the height of waves, risk zones, and vulnerable buildings in real time. Keeping a tab on such government alerts and following directions would be the best decision.
