Countries with a high risk of tsunamis

90% of tsunamis occur in the Pacific Ocean and Indonesia. This is because the Pacific Rim bordering the Ocean has a large number of active submarine earthquake zones. Tsunamis have also occurred in the Mediterranean Sea.  Four out of every 5 tsunamis that happen occur in the region called the Ring of Fire. This region that rings the Pacific Ocean basis has some of the most active plate boundaries in the world. If a major earthquake happens here is it will definitely be strong enough to cause a tsunamis.

Facts about Tsunamis

• Tsunamis can travel at speeds of about 805 kilometers an hour.
• About 80% of tsunamis happen within the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire.”
• A Tsunami is usually a number of waves instead of just one.
•  A tsunami could cross the Pacific Ocean in only one day.
• Right before a tsunami hits shore, the coastal water is sucked away from the shore, which exposes the sea floor. This is a warning that the tsunami will hit within the next five minutes.
• The first wave to hit shore is not usually the strongest wave. The waves that follow grow progressively larger and gain more strength.
• The states in the U.S. at greatest risk for tsunamis are Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California.

The effects of Tsunamis

The effects of a tsunami can range from unnoticeable to devastating. The effects of a Tsunami depends on what triggers it. Tsunamis caused by earthquakes are usually more devastating then others.




Tsunamis can kill hundred of thousands of people or kill no one at all. Usually a few buildings are destroyed and a few people are killed. Boats are usually destroyed as well because they are out at sea when a tsunami strikes. Tsunamis cause huge financial issues for the area hit by it, they can destroy crops, buildings, houses etc. Here is a picture of the aftermath of a tsunami,

Recent Tsunamis

There has been a lot of tsunamis in the last few decades, killing millions of people in total and costing us billions. 
The most recent tsunami was in Japan in 2011. This killed 25,000 people and also damaging Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, which caused a meltdown and a disaster at the highest level of the International Nuclear Event Scale. Radiation was detected 200 miles from the plant.

Probably the most horrific tsunami of all was the boxing day tsunami that mainly hit Indonesia and 13 other countries. This tsunami killed over 230,000 people. The waves the earthquake triggered were over 93 feet high