After three years of research and gathering information, including on-site visits to Sri Lanka, Thailand, India, and Indonesia, the Pacific Tsunami Museum successfully opened their newest exhibit entitled “The Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004” on 12/14/08.  A packed crowd attended the opening, highlighted by a presentation by Dwayne Meadows, a former Oahu resident who recounted his experience of being swept out to sea four times and surviving the tsunami in Khao Lak, Thailand.

NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and USAID (United States Agency for International Development) provided funding to send Dr. Walter Dudley to the Indian Ocean areas to provide training and to document the stories of the people.  Grants from the “O’Neill Foundation” (Jim and Linda Clifford) and the “Change Happens Foundation” (Michael and Ted Troxel) provided for the fabrication, computer equipment, and programming needed for the exhibit.