Tsunami damage in the famed Mentawai Island chain. Photo courtesy SurfAid.
4. Tsunami Hits The Mentawais
On October 25th, 2010 a major 7.7-magnitude undersea quake hit Kepulauan Mentawai and caused loads of destruction. The earthquake created a 10-foot tsunami that stormed through the area, most notably at the famous wave Macaronis. A charter boat at Macaronis, the Midas, ended up colliding with a boat anchored next to it, causing the Midas to go up in flames. All crew and passengers on the Midas reached shore safely though, climbing into trees to wait for the surge to pass. The latest estimated death toll from the disaster hovers around 450 people.
Following the catastrophe, Surf Aid went into full on rescue mode despite some of the worst weather the area had seen in years. For more information and to help out, go to SurfAid.org
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