WASHINGTON — As the world rallies to help those affected by the earthquake and tsunamis in Asia, comparisons may help illustrate the force of the tidal waves and the resulting enormity of the crisis:

• The earthquake that caused the tidal waves measured 9.0 on the Richter scale, a force equal to that created by 32 billion tons of TNT, or 2 million nuclear bombs the size of the one that destroyed Hiroshima.

• The waves created by the earthquake traveled at nearly 500 mph, roughly the speed of a passenger airliner.

• Some of the waves that hit Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and elsewhere were up to 50 feet high — about the size of a five-story building — and packed a force of several tons per square foot.

• The tsunami was moving with such force that it hit coastlines as far away as Africa, a distance that took 7 1/2 hours to travel.

• Thursday's death toll of about 117,000 is roughly equal to killing every fan, athlete and worker packed into the Rose Bowl, Madison Square Garden and a 5,000-seat college baseball stadium — combined.

• At least 4,000 overseas tourists are missing from Asian beach resorts, or about the number that would fill a sell-out performance at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

• Roughly 5 million people have been displaced from their homes in South Asia. That's equal to displacing everyone living in the greater metropolitan areas of Atlanta, Augusta and Savannah combined.

• About 200,000 houses were destroyed in Sri Lanka — the equivalent of leveling every home and residential apartment in Chattanooga, Tenn.

• The World Health Organization estimates the lack of clean water, food, sanitation and health care have left up to 5 million people susceptible to diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, typhoid, hepatitis and dysentery. That's equal to everyone in Washington, D.C., and its Virginia suburbs.

• Initial estimates for food, water, temporary shelter and health care needs are put at $165 million for only six months, which is the amount of federal money spent to help the entire United States prepare for emergencies at the state and local governments level two years ago.

• Three convoys totaling 60 trucks were bringing rice, sugar and lentils to the coastal areas of Sri Lanka by Thursday. That's enough to feed 122,000 people for about two weeks.

• Damage estimates for housing, buildings and businesses are put at $13.6 billion for all the affected countries. That's roughly half the $25 billion in damage that Hurricane Andrew caused in south Florida in 1992.

• However, few of the tsunami victims have private insurance, so they will probably receive no more than $136 million in insurance reimbursements. By comparison, insurance companies paid $15.5 billion for losses to Hurricane Andrew's victims.

• The tsunami, while deadly, did not come close to the casualty record for a natural disaster. A 1976 earthquake in Tangshan, China, killed 255,000 according to the government's count (but reliable witnesses estimated deaths at 655,000).

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Sources: Cox Newspapers, Associated Press, World Food Program, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Geological Survey, World Health Organization