Re: Any net disruptions from Indonesia quake / Tsunami?

[Joe Abley <jabley () isc org>]

On 26 Dec 2004, at 16:39, George William Herbert wrote:

> I haven't seen any reports, but a 8.9 and widespread tsunami
> activity in the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal seem likely to
> have caused undersea cable problems.

I'm no expert, but I'd imagine that any under-sea damage would be 
isolated to shallow approach to shore, and that the cable would be well 
below the wave action while the tsunami was in deep water. Cables are 
generally trenched pretty deep on the approach to shore as protection 
against dragging anchors, but I don't know what protection that would 
give against the undertow from a 10m-high wave.

I'd expect the most serious network damage to be in simple 
infrastructure above water (power, overhead cables).

> Suresh, someone mentioned you were in the affected area,
> you seem to still be with us from your spam thread response,
> which is a relief.

Suresh is in Madras, I think. The BBC says Madras was "particularly 
badly hit".


Joe