The Impossible - Summary

Imagine that on the day after Christmas (Boxing Day) in 2004, you’re with your family enjoying the sun, salt water, and beach on the island of Phuket in Thailand. All of a sudden you hear a roaring sound from the ocean, and then you’re underwater being slammed by a giant wave.

This is the story of Maria Belón (Naomi Watts), her husband, Enrique Alvarez (Ewan McGregor), and their three sons, Lucas (Tom Holland), Tomas (Samuel Joslin), and Simon (Oaklee Pendergast). After the Banda Aceh Quake in the Indian Ocean, the vacationing family rips apart as tsunami waves hit their Phuket beach.

Unfortunately, tsunamis do not stop once they hit the beach. In Sri Lanka, a wall of water washes 15 miles inland and destroys a train and the tracks as easily and quickly as if they were toys. This particular quake was so large that its waves affect the entire world within 30 hours.

While underground earthquakes may cause falling buildings and road collapses, underwater earthquakes displace water. Drop a stone into the water and watch as tiny ripples move outward. Tsunami waves from underwater earthquakes are like this, and grow larger as they move towards shore outward from the quake.

Why do underwater earthquakes occur? Meet scientists who used underwater exploration techniques, to examine the undersea area where this particular quake originated. Learn how they were able to plot its origins.

View this quake’s aftermath, and read stories of bravery and courage as survivors locate friends and family and help complete strangers. Although over a quarter of a million people are killed by the flooding water, there are miraculous stories of people hanging on to trees, climbing to rooftops, and grabbing others as they float by.

Doctors and nurses and uninjured people quickly set up hospitals as well as lost and found areas, where people post photos and information of those they are looking for. Coverage of the disaster is shared immediately around the world because so many people had smart phones and cameras. International aid arrives quickly.

In this story behind the movie, learn how survivors rebuild their towns and homes. And finally, investigate the current science that allows more people to be warned in advance of possible tsunamis.

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Original Release: Jan 01, 2013

Updated Last Revision: Dec 02, 2019


"The Impossible" AwesomeStories.com. Jan 01, 2013. Jan 20, 2020.
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