How tall were the tsunami waves that struck India and Sri Lanka in 2004?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

When the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 struck the eastern coasts of India and Sri Lanka on December 26, 2004, the waves reached heights of approximately 9 meters (30 feet) as they hit the shoreline.1

These immense waves were triggered by a magnitude 9.1 undersea earthquake that occurred off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra earlier that day. The disaster resulted in widespread destruction and a tragic loss of life across the region, claiming tens of thousands of lives in India and Sri Lanka alone.231