Simeulue people

The Simeulue people became more widely known worldwide after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami because of their high survival rate. Their survival was credited to their tradition of oral history. A previous tsunami in 1908 had affected the island, and stories told about it served as disaster preparation. Only 7 people of the total population (78,000 at the time) died in the December 26, 2004 tsunami.