![]() That’s why NASA actively supports research to understand tsunami hazards and modernize local tsunami forecasting and early warning systems. Reducing evacuation start time is the most critical variable in saving lives when a tsunami is imminent, and rapid access to accurate and easy-to-understand information will equip local and regional leaders to order critical life-saving evacuations as quickly as possible. NASA’s expertise and access to Earth-observing data are a valuable tool to help understand the mechanisms behind tsunamis and mitigate their risk to society. Having plans and policies to reduce tsunami impacts helps build resilience and protect communities most at risk. By the end of this decade, 50% of the world's population will live in coastal areas exposed to flooding, storms, and tsunamis. The World Bank estimated it to be the costliest natural disaster in world history.Īccording to the U.N., 58 tsunamis claimed more than 260,000 lives, or an average of 4,600 per disaster in the last century, surpassing any other natural hazard. ![]() On March 11, 2011, an earthquake off the coast of Tohoku, Japan, caused tsunami waves that reached ~6 miles inland and ~133 feet above sea level, resulting in the deaths of over 16,000 people and billions of dollars in damage to infrastructure, including major damage to the Fukushima nuclear power plant. On December 26, 2004, an earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, brought waves of up to 100 feet to coastal communities in the region, resulting in the deaths of over 200,000 people in 14 countries, making it one of the deadliest disasters in recorded history. Waves of over 100 feet tall can bring massive volumes of water miles inland, destroying everything in their path. However, when a large tsunami impacts a populated coastal region, the effects can be devastating. Compared to other hazards such as hurricanes or forest fires that occur annually, large tsunamis are infrequent. Tsunamis are ocean waves triggered by earthquakes that occur near or under the ocean, volcanic eruptions, submarine landslides, or onshore landslides in which large volumes of debris fall into the water.
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