Waxy.org…: Daily Log: Amateur Tsunami Video Footage
In addition to the extensive first-person coverage of the tsunami disaster on blogs, there have been several amateur recordings of the tsunami from camcorders. Unfortunately, the network websites aren’t making them easy to find and view. The videos are usually only available as poor-quality, streaming video like RealPlayer, and buried in popup windows and poor navigation.
Ben pointed me to downloadable versions of three clips. I’m hosting them here. (Unfortunately, I don’t have much information about the source of these videos.)
* phuket.wmv (11MB) – shot from inside a restaurant, waves engulf older couple clinging to railing before flooding entire room
* patong_beach.wmv (10MB) – rooftop view of two huge waves battering buildings along shore, then flooding of city streets
* sri_lanka.wmv (7MB) – upper balcony view of hotel swimming pool area getting flooded as observers run away; woman asks “how high will it go?” before retreating
* koh_lanta_thailand.avi (11MB) – shot on beach level; watch as first wave grows and crashes, before cameraman’s frantic retreat away from shore
* penang_beach.wmv (1MB) – shot from wall above beach, three men are caught in battering waves
* sri_lanka_resort.wmv (6MB) – upper level hotel balcony; restaurant, pools, and deck flooded as people cling to trees; two men narrate what they see
I spend a couple hours each day watching the CNN coverage of this. I watch it for as long as I can cope with it. They’ve used a few of these videos quite liberally. Of course, their website only makes video available to people that pay-subscribe.