One of the few coastal areas to evacuate ahead of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was on the Indonesian island of Simeulue, very close to the epicentre.
Island folklore recounted an earthquake and tsunami in 1907, and the islanders fled to inland hills after the initial shaking and before the tsunami struck.
These tales and oral folklore from previous generations may have helped the survival of the inhabitants
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake_and_tsunami
TIL that one of the few coastal areas to evacuate ahead of the 2004 tsunami was on the island of Simeulue. Due to island folklore recounting an earthquake/tsunami in 1907, the islanders fled inland following the initial shaking. Generational folklore saving the lives of the islanders 97 years later. from todayilearned