Making the word smong part of the Indonesian vocabulary does not mean removing the word tsunami. Smong should be a source of pride in how local knowledge protects us from disaster.
A destroyed house in an earthquake-devastated area at Balaroa village in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, October 11 2018. It’s reported at least 2,045 people have died as a result of earthquakes that hit central Sulawesi and triggered a tsunami.
EPA/Hotli Simanjuntak
The devastation of the recent earthquake and tsunami might be most visible in Palu, the capital city of Central Sulawesi. But the province’s rural areas could ultimately suffer the most.
A general view of a tsunami devastated mosque in Talise beach, Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, 30 September 2018.
MAST IRHAM/EPA