Tsunami Facts

Here are some TSUNAMI facts that you can lean

1. One of the largest earthquakes in history happened over 100 miles off the coast of Chile on May 22 1960. Just 15 minutes after the earthquake happened 80-foot waves struck the coast. Fifteen hours later tsunami waves struck Hawaii. Finally  22 hours after the earthquake the tsunami struck Japan—10,000 miles from where the earthquake took place.
2. While waves generated by wind may travel anywhere from around 2 to 60 miles per hours. Tsunami waves can travel at speeds of 600 miles per hour.
3. The Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 killed more than 216,000 people, possibly as many as 283,000. Victims included not only local people but also about 9,000 visitor from Australia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. who were spending their Christmas vacations at beach resorts in Southeast Asia.
4. A mega-tsunami is a tsunami with extremely high waves and is usually caused by a landslide. A mega tsunami happened at Lituya Bay in  Alaska in the year 1958.
5. The tallest tsunami ever recorded at 1,700 feet (534 m) high. Miraculously, only two people died.
6. When an enormous earthquake hit Lisbon in 1755 the city’s terrified citizens rushed to the shore for safety. They were amazed to see seawater rushing away from the shore. Minutes after, a tsunami arrived. Ninety thousand residents were killed.
7. People often die after the first tsunami wave because they return to their homes too soon or go to the beach to help stranded people or animals.
8. If caught by a tsunami wave, it is better not to swim, but rather to grab a floating object and allow the current to carry you.
9. Up to half an hour before a tsunami strikes, the ocean can suddenly appear to drain away. The withdraw of the water is called the drawback and is the trough of the tsunami reaching the shore.
10. The state at greatest risk for a tsunami is Hawaii. Hawaii experiences about one tsunami a year and a damaging tsunami every seven years. California, Oregon, and Washington have a damaging tsunami about every 18 years.