The Coast of Kenya Field Survey after the December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami

A field survey of the coast of Kenya was conducted after the 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. We visited the coast between Mombasa and the Ngomeni Peninsula north of Malindi from 25 February to 4 March 2005. The tsunami struck the coast during the rising tide, but it caused little damage because warnings had been issued effectively and because large stretches of the coast are protected by reefs. These large stretches of protected coast end at Malindi, and the coasts to the north include sandy beaches and spits like the Ngomeni Peninsula. The maximum recorded runup at this peninsula was 3 m at 43 m from the water level at the time of the tsunami impact.