Simeulue Folklore Saved Island Residents

In 2004, the Indonesian island of Simeulue became one of the few coastal areas to evacuate before the Indian Ocean tsunami struck. Local folklore preserved memories of an earthquake and tsunami in 1907, so islanders recognized the initial shaking as a warning and fled to inland hills. These stories, passed down across generations, may have saved residents when another tsunami arrived 97 years later.

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