In the opening paragraph of a May, 1999 Scientific American article on Tsunamis, the author recounts the 7.1 magnitude earthquake that caused a massive tsunami around Papua New Guinea, killing around 2,200.
The article also features a grapic depicting the various tsunamis that have occurred in the past decade, along with the death tolls they exacted. The two most devastating occurred in Papua New Guinea (2200+ dead, as mentioned) and Sulawesi Island (1000+ dead).
Variations of this article will likely see the press soon, as a 9.0 magnitude quake--the largest on earth in 40 years--generated a huge tsunami that has apparently claimed upwards of 22,000 people in Southeast Asia and a lot of the surrounding areas. These poor people.
Having been through the Florida hurricane season first-hand this year, I'm prepared to say don't live by water if you can help it. Pump it in, move inland, and pray for the others.
update: the returning tides have carried thousands of corpses ashore, bringing the total to somewhere around 60,000.