On December 26, 2004, a powerful 9.1 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Indonesia triggered a massive tsunami across the Indian Ocean. The devastating waves, traveling at high speeds, struck coastal communities with little warning, flattening villages and wiping out fishing communities. Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand were among the hardest hit, with over 230,000 people killed and millions displaced across 14 countries, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern history.