Tsunami events that involve loss of life are preventable by early warning systems.
Also the indigenous people survived what killed the 250,000 Cofty thinks God should
have saved. They survived because they saw the sea recede, as it does everywhere before
a Tsunami, the difference was, the indigenous people read the sign and had four hours to
flee inland and all escaped death. Proving the value of tribal myths and observations of nature.
"The Andamanese and other six indigenous groups in Andaman and Nicobar Islands survived the tsunami by taking shelter in the highlands. The myth tells that, before the giant wave comes, the sea recedes. Then the waters flood the earth, destroy it, and make it clean again. On these islands the cicadas are usually loud, but suddenly went silent before the tsunami hit. Saleh Kalathalay noticed the silence and warned everyone about the tsunami. The Moken started to flee toward higher ground long before the first wave struck and were saved." This was speaking of the 2004 event.
From a New York Times Article , Dec 6th, 2004
"There's no reason for a single individual to get killed in a tsunami," Dr. Murty said. "The waves are totally predictable. We have travel-time charts covering all of the Indian Ocean. From where this earthquake happened to hit, the travel time for waves to hit the tip of India was four hours. That's enough time for a warning."
Phone calls were hurriedly made to countries in the Indian Ocean danger zone, she said, but not with the speed that comes from pre-established emergency planning.
"Outside the Pacific these things don't occur very often at all so the challenge is how to make people and government officials aware," she said.
Actually, it doesn't cost all that much to do this properly. Compared to the cost of the damage, this is a no-brainer.