What is a tsunami?A tsunami is a series of huge

waves that happen after a

undersea disturbance, such as an

earthquake or volcano

eruption.

What Causes Tsunamis?

Most destructive tsunamis are caused by earthquakes;

other causes may be volcanic eruptions,

landslides, and rarely even a comet hitting the sea.

How Do Tsunami's Form?•An underground earthquake, rock slide, or volcanic eruption can

shift the water

• Height increases as the Tsunami reaches closer to shore

How Often do they Occur?On average, two

damaging tsunamis occur each year. The speed of a tsunami can go up to 600 mph, the average speed

of a jet.

Where are Tsunamis Common?

Hawaii is the riskiest state for tsunamis. States such as California, Washington, and Oregon

are also affected by damaging tsunamis Internationally tsunamis are common around

the Pacific Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

People Affected by TsunamisDisaster Date Affected (no. of

people)

Sri Lanka 2004 1,019,306

India 2004 654,512

Indonesia 2004 532,898

Somalia 2004 105,083

Thailand 2004 67,007

Indonesia 2006 35,543

Maldives 2004 27,214

Myanmar 2004 15,700

Papua New Guinea

1998 9,867

Malaysia 2004 5,063

Disaster Date Killed (no. of people)

Indonesia 2004 165,708

Sri Lanka 2004 35,399

India 2004 16,389Thailand 2004 8,345

Papua New Guinea

1998 2,182

Indonesia 2006 802

Somalia 2004 298

Maldives 2004 102

Vanuatu 1997 100

Malaysia 2004 80

How is the economy affected?

Tsunamis damage tourism. Also, people are faced with re-building, which is difficult because the people may not have enough money to do so.

How is the land affected?

DebrisTrashWasteTrees are uprootedRemains

Precautions

Do not get fooled by the sizes of the waves, a tsunami can be more dangerous than you

think. Each wave may get bigger. Once you see a tsunami it is too late to escape. A tsunami is a series of waves, not a single wave, so don’t

doubt the dangers.

Bibiliography• "Disaster Statistics - Tsunami - Hazards -

PreventionWeb.net." PreventionWeb.net Homepage - Serving the Information Needs of the Disaster Reduction Community. 2010. Web. 16 Oct. 2010. <http://www.preventionweb.net/english/hazards/statistics/?hid=71>.

• "FEMA For Kids: Things To Know: Tsunamis." FEMA | Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA, 11 Aug. 2010. Web. 16 Oct. 2010. <http://www.fema.gov/kids/knw_tsu.htm>.

• Rickrideshorses. "What Causes a Tsunami?" HubPages. 14 Oct. 2010. Web. 16 Oct. 2010. <http://hubpages.com/hub/What-causes-a-Tsunami>.

• Team, BBC. "CBBC Newsround/ Pictures." CBBC Newsround/ Pictures. CBBC Newsround, 2005. Web. 21 Oct. 2010. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/ newsid_4500000/newsid_4504100/4504114.stm>.