Catastrophic scenarios during holidays only exist in disaster movies, don’t they?

We already worry enough hoping the weather will be good for our holidays, we’re not going to spend even more energy thinking about impossible events.

Yet, you should know the precedent in this country: Indonesia.

130,000 people killed by a tsunami the day after Christmas 2004.

So… the impossible scenario is not just possible, it already happened.

Did you take that into account?

The last place in the world to think about catastrophes: lying on the sand under a burning sun.

Whether you’re lost in your thoughts, reading a book, or simply sleeping, one thing is certain: the informational panels about tsunamis stayed at the airport.

And anyway, if a tsunami is coming, the music will intensify, the shots will tighten on your face, and someone around you will do something stupid that will cost his life before yours.

I mean, you are the hero of your own story, and the hero never dies, at least not at the beginning of the movie.

Maybe that’s exactly what you’re thinking about while lying on your beach towel, by the way…

But these thoughts were instantly cut when you felt your body slightly shake for 4 to 5 seconds.

Wait… is it just your imagination still stuck in a Hollywood scenario, or did the ground really just shake?

You look around you. Some people seem as confused as you are, but most of them don’t look worried.

---

1. What do you do?

A] I decide to go do something else inland

B] I watch the sea to see if it recedes

C] I identify the evacuation route “just in case”

---

Your perception of time is stretched at that moment, but very quickly, all the phones on the beach start ringing at the same time.

You haven’t looked at the notification yet, but you already know what it is.

---

2. How do you react?

A] I don’t know what the different tsunami alerts mean

B] I decide to leave the beach immediately

C] I check social networks to confirm the information

---

You quickly learn that a tsunami watch is not a tsunami warning, and that this notification is only temporary, the time needed to be updated.

So right now, you may be in danger, but maybe not. Nobody knows.

Tsunami or not tsunami, that is the question.

---

3. After a few minutes, the Tsunami Watch is still not updated…

A] I wait for the update

B] I go back to enjoying my holidays

C] I leave the beach

A few minutes later….

🔍 Your Choices

Let’s review each decision.

1. What do you do?

A] I decide to go do something else inland +3

B] I watch the sea to see if it recedes +1

C] I identify the evacuation route “just in case” +2

If you have to remember one thing: the sea doesn’t always recede before a tsunami.

Without going deeper into it, the sea recedes only when the negative wave arrives first. If it’s the positive one, in the best case you will see a wall of water coming, in the worst case, you won’t see anything coming.

You think you felt an earthquake in a risky area like this one? When there is doubt, there is no doubt. Especially since the power of a tsunami is not entirely related to the magnitude of the earthquake that triggers it.

The minimum to do is to get away from the shore and start heading toward higher ground.

You can also ask people around you, especially locals, if they felt it too. This can create a beneficial group effect that could save lives.

---

2. How do you react?

A] I don’t know what the different tsunami alerts mean +1

B] I decide to leave the beach immediately +3

C] I check social networks to confirm the information +2

Doesn’t matter where you are going on holidays, you have to be aware of the risks there. And with that, the first safety measures.

Government alerts are part of these first safety measures.

Tsunami alerts are a little more complex than the others. I made this memo below. You can learn it and keep it.

Tsunami alerts memo

No need to waste time on social networks looking for the latest information. The push notification from the government is the LATEST and MOST RELIABLE information.

---

3. After a few minutes, the Tsunami Watch is still not updated…

A] I wait for the update +2

B] I go back to enjoying my holidays +1

C] I leave the beach +3

A tsunami watch is never the last notification. It will always be upgraded or downgraded.

So there has to be another one. Don’t gamble your life or the lives of the people with you on a technical issue.

These systems are among the most tested and monitored in the world. However, you should know that zero risk doesn’t exist.

The moment a tsunami watch notification is issued, you should leave. And even if the alert is downgraded, you should not come back the same day.

There is this dramatic story that, I think, will make you forget the thought that may have just crossed your mind: “Oh, I would love to see a small tsunami with my own eyes.”

Read the story

⚖️ The Verdict

Add up your points and see where you stand.

3–4 points → You are probably dead.

👉 Your decisions exposed you to the worst risks. If there is a reall tsunami, your chances of survival would be minimal.

5–6 points → You played with (water) fire

👉 Your choices weren’t the best, but with some luck you might have made it. Don’t count on luck next time.

7–9 points → You put the odds on your side.

👉 You applied the right reflexes. Nothing is guaranteed with Nature, but you maximized your chances of getting through alive.