---
title: "The precursor to a tsunami..."
type: "Topics"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/topics/40282100.md"
description: "Before the massive tsunami struck Thailand on December 26, 2004, there was a very typical detail: before a tsunami arrives, the sea water will suddenly recede by one or two hundred meters. Ordinary people who lack this knowledge, upon seeing the tide go out, would only find it novel and rush onto the exposed beach to pick up fish and seashells, joining in the excitement. However, those with knowledge and experience know that a sudden and significant retreat of seawater is a precursor to an imminent tsunami. At that time, many tourists on the beach were watching the spectacle and gathering seafood, completely unaware that danger was approaching. Among the crowd, a little foreign girl suddenly told her parents that they must leave immediately because a tsunami was about to hit..."
datetime: "2026-04-29T10:02:14.000Z"
locales:
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/topics/40282100.md)
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/topics/40282100.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/topics/40282100.md)
author: "[AngerBird](https://longbridge.com/en/profiles/13017810.md)"
---

# The precursor to a tsunami...

Before the massive tsunami hit Thailand on December 26, 2004, there was a very typical detail: before a tsunami arrives, the sea water will suddenly recede one or two hundred meters.

Ordinary people who lack common knowledge, upon seeing the sea recede, would only find it novel and rush to the exposed beach to pick up fish and shells, joining in the excitement. But those with common sense and experience know that a sudden, significant retreat of seawater is a precursor to an imminent tsunami.

At that time, many tourists on the beach were watching the spectacle and gathering seafood, completely unaware of the impending danger. Among the crowd, a young foreign girl suddenly told her parents they must leave immediately, as a tsunami was about to come.

Her parents didn't believe it at first; the weather was perfectly fine, with no signs of anything unusual. But the girl was insistent, even crying anxiously, demanding the family leave at once. Finally, the family of four had to leave the beach and ran to a nearby hotel, warning the staff about the imminent tsunami.

The hotel staff were also surprised initially, thinking the child was playing a prank. But seeing the girl crying so earnestly and with such conviction, they had no choice but to take it seriously and immediately sounded the beach alarm.

Within just six or seven minutes, all tourists on the beach were evacuated in an orderly manner. Shortly after everyone had left, a massive wave over ten meters high crashed onto the shore.  
Thanks to the timely evacuation, there were almost no casualties on this beach, all saved by the girl's alertness.

Bali during the same period was not so fortunate; that tsunami caused severe casualties, killing several hundred or even over a thousand people.

Later, this girl was even invited to the United Nations, serving as a public service spokesperson for tsunami disaster prevention and giving a speech.  
When asked how she, at such a young age, knew about this tsunami precursor, she explained: her elementary school teacher had taught her—if you see the sea suddenly recede significantly, don't think about anything else, just run to higher ground immediately.

During the same period, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and India (including areas near Bali) suffered over 200,000–300,000 fatalities.

## Comments (17)

- **Rayn25 · 2026-04-29T14:07:51.000Z**: Some tsunamis come directly from the crest,
- **神威天将军 · 2026-04-29T13:11:45.000Z**: Bird Bro, any earnings reports you're bullish on?
  - **AngerBird** (2026-04-29T13:13:07.000Z): No feeling, hehe;
  - **神威天将军** (2026-04-29T13:15:22.000Z): Okay, then let's not do more for now (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧
- **AngerBird · 2026-04-29T12:55:05.000Z · 👍 1**: Don't overinterpret it... have independent thinking...
- **实现发财梦 · 2026-04-29T12:52:30.000Z**: Got it, time to start short-selling surfing.🏄
- **2026学会止盈 · 2026-04-29T12:42:21.000Z**: Follow the instructions, I'll withdraw a portion today and keep the base position for observation.
- **日富一日sam · 2026-04-29T11:10:11.000Z**: Feeling more and more the frenzy before the tsunami arrives.
- **西瓜呀 · 2026-04-29T10:15:08.000Z · 👍 2**: Bro, is this the language of the 'Divine Bird Circle'? I'm still a bit lacking in this part of my language talent. Could some expert please interpret it?
- **edent · 2026-04-29T10:14:24.000Z**: Crude oil has quietly climbed up over the past couple of days.
- **大盗贼霍臻普洛兹 · 2026-04-29T10:10:11.000Z**: Financial tsunami🌊🌊🌊
- **好运连连QAQ · 2026-04-29T10:09:20.000Z**: Is this the receding tide today?
- **我最好命 · 2026-04-29T10:05:55.000Z**: This hint
- **折神 · 2026-04-29T10:04:38.000Z · 👍 5**: What are you trying to say, is the bull market coming?
  - **我不想说** (2026-04-29T10:07:55.000Z): Shouldn't a tsunami correspond to a bull market, right?
  - **ウルトラマン** (2026-04-29T12:05:37.000Z): The financial tsunami is here. The stock god Little Gu has gone all in long on NASDAQ.
  - **狂飙Jun** (2026-04-29T13:08:13.000Z): Oh my god