In the early morning of December 26, 2004, a massive 9.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia, triggering a tsunami that inundated coastal communities with waves up to 100 feet (30 meters) high. As the waves raced inland, they swept away homes, cars, and entire villages. The disaster claimed the lives of more than 227,000 people in 14 countries, making it one of the deadliest tsunamis in recorded history.
Indonesia bore the brunt of the tsunami, with more than …