Tsunami how do they happen

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The wave's speed slows down, while its height rises to as much as feet. The word tsunami, Japanese for "harbor wave," comes from the fact that it only seems to appear near the coast.

If the trough of a tsunami reaches shore first, the water will withdraw farther than normal before the wave hits, which can be misleadingly dangerous. A tsunami will not only drown people near the coast, but level buildings and trees for a mile inland or more, especially in low-lying areas.

As if that weren't enough, the water then retreats, dragging with it the newly created debris, and anything, or anyone, unfortunate enough to be caught in its path. The Indian Ocean tsunami was one of the deadliest natural disasters in history, killing over , people throughout South Asia. So how can we protect ourselves against this destructive force of nature? People in some areas have attempted to stop tsunamis with sea walls, flood gates, and channels to divert the water. But these are not always effective.

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