Tom and Sriyani Tidball divide their time between Lincoln and Colombo, Sri Lanka, where they operate the Community Concern Society. Their organization serves thousands of people through its drug rehab centers, orphanage, refuge for homeless women and children, and community center. Here's an edited version of an e-mail and some photographs Tom Tidball sent the Journal Star and others describing the deadly tsunamis that have killed more than 52,000 people in Asia — and the needs they left behind.

I would first like to thank all of the family and friends, including numerous well-wishers, for their heartfelt and genuine concern for my family. We are all here in Sri Lanka right now, which is rare these days, but the holidays brought us together at this eventful time.

At last count, all of us appear to still be here and in good health. For that we are thankful; there seems to be very few people around who haven't lost someone close.

At the moment, the death toll is around 15,000 but it keeps rising with each new report. They say one million have lost their homes islandwide.

The magnitude of this event is unprecedented — by far the worst natural disaster in this island's recorded history.

I have never experienced an earthquake before, but noticed a 15-minute tremor at the exact time of the deep sea earthquake off Indonesia, 1,000 miles away, at 7 a.m. Dec. 26.

The wave surge came a few hours later. There was no warning before it hit, slamming the east coast full force with the major wave thrust as high as 40 feet.

We were in Colombo, the capital city of two million people, on the southwest coast. Keep in mind this is tourist season in Sri Lanka. The weather and sea is normally mild and beautiful these days, so thousands of tourists and local folks were at the beach resorts.

Incredibly, the eyewitnesses reported all the water being sucked from the shore out to sea, leaving it nearly dry for about 300 yards.

The surge came moments later, mowing down and carrying along everything in its path. The damage reports and stories are unimaginable. A friend on the other side, in a town called Matara, told of a mass burial of 300 villagers there.

We were spared that kind of body count in the west but had incredible damage.

My wife, Sriyani, and I have been working with the people who live in the poverty-ridden seaside slum of Mount Lavinia, just south of Colombo in an area we call the fishing village.

We head an organization called Community Concern Society, which began in 1980 through sharing a little food with two families. Today, along with a full-time staff of 65 and 35 part-time volunteers, we serve directly or indirectly nearly all of the 5,000 families who live in the area.

Under the umbrella organization of the society, we have two drug rehab locations called Power House, our Lotus Buds Orphanage, and a refuge for homeless and abused women and children called Heavena — meaning shade or shelter in the local language.

These are in other areas, but our community center in Mount Lavinia is about 100 yards from the beach. The center weathered the storm but at one point was under two feet of water. That's where 1,100 kids and about 500 moms come every day for food, medical services, schooling, vocational training and other help.

Most of these people lost their small shanty huts and all of their possessions to the water. I'm sending some photos of the village just after the storm passed. It's hard to take a picture of what's not there.

This week has been declared a week of mourning islandwide.

Everyone has been looking for ways to help out. Normally, we don't believe it's right to solicit for money, but because several people have asked how they could contribute to the obvious needs of these folks, I am sending the account number of The Tsunami Relief Fund that has been set up.

I can assure any contributors that 100 percent of donations will go directly to the greatest needs. Right now, the short-term needs appear to be medication, food, clothing, toiletries, basic supplies and back-to-school supplies for the kids. Longer term needs will be addressing the housing issue.

We have been encouraged by the willingness of so many to help out.

Thanks again for your love and prayers on our behalf.

How to help

To donate to the The Tsunami Relief Fund, send checks to:

HSBC Bank

24 Baron Jayatilaka Mawatte

Colombo 1

Sri Lanka

In favor of: Community Concern Society

Account No: 001311380040

Swift No: HSBC LKLX

(The Journal Star has contributed $1,000.)