Months after the receding waters from the devastating tsunami of December 26, 2004, rumors of more killer waves continue to disrupt lives. As far away as Chile, which was spared the tsunami, rumors have sent people scurrying to the hills.

Just five days after the event, tsunami rumors in the northern Malaysian state of Kedah sent residents rushing to higher ground. A similar panic occurred to the south on the resort island of Penang. Rumors often spread across the country by phone text messages. Snopes.com, an internet site documenting cyber-rumors and urban legends, noted a flurry of tsunami-related stories of dubious origin--including reports that tsunami orphans were ...