On December 26, 2004, an earthquake of 9.2 magnitude occurred in the seafloor off the coast of Indonesia. The earthquake caused the most destructive tsunami in recorded history across the Indian Ocean. Mills (2014) of Earth Magazine describes the tsunami: “A wall of water and debris slammed the shores of South Asia; some witnesses described it as sounding like a freight train. Tourists and locals alike scrambled to safety inland and atop tall hotels, recording videos of the surging water that inundated their communities. Many were unable to reach higher ground” (Mills, 2014). The tsunami hit 11 countries that border the Indian Ocean including Indonesia, India and Somalia. In the low-lying coastal regions, the wave caused damage hundreds of meters inland and damaged thousands of miles of coastline. Nearly 230,000 people lost their lives. In some countries like Thailand, many tourists lost their lives, but the majority of the dead were people who worked and lived in the tsunami destruction area. Beyond the human toll, there was devastation to infrastructure such as the roads, electrical and communications. Drinking water was also contaminated. Approximately 1.7 million people were displaced by the tsunami. They lived in temporary refugee camps, in some cases for years. Many lost their means of making a living leaving them poverty stricken also (Mills, 2014). The 2004 tsunami was one of the worst disasters in recorded history, but the aftermath, while not demonstrating ethics across the board, was far more positive than it was negative.