Protective Role of Coastal Ecosystems in the Context of the Tsunami in Tamil Nadu Coast, India: Implications for Hazard Preparedness

To assess the damage caused by the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 26 December 2004, post-tsunami field surveys were undertaken during January and April, 2005 from Chennai to Velankanni along the Tamil Nadu coast. Beach profiles were measured at 24 sites (Figure 35.1). Tsunami-induced landscape changes, identified in April 2005, have been compared with earlier observations conducted along the Nagore-Velankanni sector in November 1998.