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.
Residents takes pictures near the ruins of a house at Betobo village in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, October 11 2018.
Hotli Simanjuntak/EPA
Earthquakes and tsunami in Indonesia this year did not only leave a deep sorrow. It made us rethink the relationship between humans, technology and nature in Indonesia.
In this Oct. 10, 2018, photo, a man walks past a boat swept ashore by a tsunami in Wani village on the outskirt of Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. The 7.5 magnitude earthquake on Sept. 28, triggered a tsunami and mudslides.
(AP Photo/Dita Alangkara, File)
To stay safe in a tsunami, remember that the sequence of waves may occur over hours to days, and the biggest wave in the sequence could occur at any time.
Rescue team members rest near an earthquake-devastated area during a search for victims under the ruins of collapsed buildings in Balaroa, Palu city, Central Sulawesi.
EPA Images
Caught in the middle: Lombok and Bali are exposed to earthquake and tsunamis risk due to a tectonic plate boundary to the south, but also a unique zone of activity that thrusts to the north.
A 8.1 magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of Mexico on 8 September 2017. Fortunately, initial fears of a damaging tsunami hitting the coastline now appear unfounded.