Escape from the Tsunami - 26 Dec. 2004

It was about 2.00 pm and I was driving to Tanjung Dawai in Kedah. I had planned to take a boat across Tg Dawai crossing the river mouth to Pantai Merdeka. It was a hot and sunny day. From the car, I could see the palm trees parallel to the road. The sea lay just beyond the palm trees.

Suddenly, people in cars in in the opposite lane started to shout and made hand signals. The signals appeared to be asking me to turn around. There was further commotion along the road. Dozens of villagers were standing about. I first thought there was an accident and the road ahead was blocked. A car passed by with a Chinese guy in his 50's. I wound down the windscreen and asked him what was going on. He answered in intelligible Malay. I did not understand what he said .Was it "Gelombang Besar" (Big wave) ?. I continued driving for about 100 m and but had to stop.

I saw severals cars reversing and moving in the opposite lane. Villagers were running out of their houses. Some got on motocycles. Then I saw it on my right... a wave of water about 1 foot high running underneath and in between the houses. It was 100 m away moving fast towards the road. Further up on the road, the wave had reached the road.

A sick feeling came over me. This was no ordinary event; the sea does not come ashore this far. I quickly reversed and drove away. Villagers went pass me in their motocycles and cars. The thought of a tsunami did not cross my mind. I thought it was a freak high tide combined with strong waves. The sort of event which has caused floods in Klang.

Later, I came across road blocks and asked some people what had happened.They said high sea waves bringing mud chest high had swept the area.

Later at 5.00 pm resting in a hotel at Sungei Petani Hotel, I swiched on the TV and found out a tsunami had hit several countries. I pondered my good fortune;

Had I been 5 minutes earlier (3 km from the beach), I could have boarded the boat and be swept away. Or had been a few minutes late, I would have been hit with the wave while driving. Either way, the window between safety and disaster was 5 minutes. Fortunately I was at the right place and right time. I escape unharmed but many others did not.