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Abstract Tsunamis are not as common as other weather related disasters, but they can cause significant damage. The word tsunami comes from a Japanese word meaning “long harbor wave.” Today, scientist use the term to define seismic sea waves generated by undersea earthquakes or undersea landslides and volcanic eruptions. Most tsunamis occur along the Ring of Fire, a wave of volcanic and earthquake activity that encircles the Pacific Ocean. The Hawaiian Islands and Alaska areas …

…can be issued before it strikes land because of the high speed of the waves. The long period between waves is sometimes misleading to people because it can take up to an hour between waves reaching the shore. Some visible signs of tsunami approach may be recession of water from the shore or the rise of water past the high water level. Tsunami wavelengths cover long distances so the destruction can include a wide area.