What are the effects of a tsunami?
95Tsunami effects
The effects of a tsunami are devastating. They are one of the world's worst natural disasters that can hit a country.
Tsunami damage is first caused by the immense force of the tidal wave hitting the shoreline. Tsunami flooding then continues to cause damage for several more weeks.
The effects of the tsunami on the country during this period range from destruction and damage, death, injury, millions of dollars in financial loss, and long lasting psychological problems for the inhabitants of the region.
The initial impact of the tsunami is often publicised across the world through the news media. However, the actual effects continue for many years after the natural disaster struck.
For many of the people affected, they will never forget the terrifying ordeal of being caught in a tsunami. The scars that are inflicted on the land can be present for decades to come, and this only serves as a reminder to people living in the area of the terrible losses caused by the tsunami, and the lingering danger that yet another killer tidal wave could strike at any moment with very little warning.
Six more great tsunami hubs full of information
- What causes a Tsunami?
Tsunami is a Japanese word meaning ''harbour wave'' that refers to a series of large ocean waves that hit a... - The biggest tsunamis in history
The biggest tsunami ever was caused by an enormous 8.3 magnitude earthquake in Alaska on July 9, 1958. - What are tsunamis and where do they happen?
Tsunamis most often begin in the ocean and travel through the water to the nearest coastline. - Tsunami warning systems: Precautions used to predict deadly tidal waves
In recent years by monitoring seismic activity under the sea it has become possible to predict when tsunamis will happen. - How to survive a tsunami: A guide to escaping a natural disaster
There are precautions that everybody can take to saves lives and prevent injury in tsunamis. - Japan 2011: The tsunami that caused a nuclear meltdown
The tsunami that hit Japan in March 2011 threatened one of the worst nuclear meltdowns that the world has seen.
Tsunami damage and destruction
A tsunami's tidal waves batter the shoreline can destroy anything in their path.
This includes boats, buildings, houses, hotels, cars, trees, telephone lines - and just about anything else in their way.
Once the waves have knocked down infrastructure on the shore the waves continue inland for up to another mile.
As the water rushed across the land it can sweep away yet more trees, gardens, buildings, cars and other man made equipment.
Boats have often been hurled into the sky and iron parking metres have been bent to the ground.
Tsunamis often hit poorer and less-developed countries around South Asia that are close to the ''ring of fire'' in the pacific ocean - a area with high seismic activity.
Because these countries are poor their buildings are not built strongly to withstand natural disasters such as Tsunamis.
This means that when the water hits the buildings they are easily washed away.
The water leaves a trail of destruction that looks like an enormous bomb has exploded in the area. Entire towns and villages have been destroyed.
Death
There is very little warning before Tsunamis hit. This means that people living in towns and villages on the coast do not have time to escape.
Unfortunately one of the biggests and worst effects of a Tsunami is the cost to human life. Hundreds and thousands of people are killed by Tsunamis.
The force of the tsunami wave may kill people instantly or they may drown as water rushes on the land.
People may also be killed if a building is knocked down by the tsunami and it hits them. They could also be electrocuted if wires fall down into the water or they may be killed by fires or explosions.
The tsunami that struck South Asia and East African on Decmber 24 2004 killed a staggering 31,187 people in Sri Lanka. There were 4,280 missing people and a further 23,189 were injured.
Disease
Tsunamis flood the areas close to the coast. This can cause disease to spread in the stagnant water.
Illnesses such as malaria form when water is stagnant and contaminated. This can cause more deeath and sickness.
Often the infastructure such as sewage and fresh water supplies for drinking are damaged from the tsunami. This makes it more difficult for people to stay healthy and for diseases to be treated. In these conditions for diseases are likely to spread.
Cost
There is immediately a massive cost when tsunamis happen. Rescue teams come in to the area and victims of the tsunami needed to be treated.
Governments around the world may help with the cost of bringing aid to a tsunami hit area. There might also be appeals and donations from people who have seen pictures of the area in the media.
After the initial cost of rescue operations there is the clean up cost. Debris from the destruction caused by the tsunami needs to be cleaned away. Damaged buildings that are no longer structurally safe may need to be knocked down.
There is also the cost that comes from loss of earnings in the local economy and also future losses as the area will be damaged for some time.
The total financial cost of the tsunami could be millions or even billions of dollars. It is difficult to put an excat figure on the monetary cost but is a lot.
Psychological effects
Tsunami victims suffer psychology problems in the days and weeks after the destruction. This could even continue for years - often there entire life time.
A study by the World Health Organisation on survivors of the tsunami in Sri Lanka on December 24 2004 found that three to four weeks after the tsunami between 14 and 39 per cent of the children had post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
In another study 41 per cent of adolescents and approximately 20 per cent of those adolescents' mothers had PTSD four months after the event.
Many people from the Peraliya area of Sri Lanka where 2,000 people died and 450 families became homeless had problems up to two years after the tsunami.
They were anxious and stressed because they felt like their life was in danger from another tsunami. They were also suffering from grief because they knew somebody who had died.
There were also people who were depressed because they had lost their home, their money or their business in the tsunami. Many still had PTSD.
Tsunami news
- Japanese tsunami debris reaches US - ABC Online
TheTimes Japanese tsunami debris reaches US ABC Online Concerns over pollution and health risks are being raised as debris from last year's Japanese tsunami washes up on the US coastline. EMMA... - 4 hours ago
- Earthquake hits eastern Japan, no tsunami warning issued - Reuters UK
Moneycontrol.com Earthquake hits eastern Japan, no tsunami warning issued Reuters UK There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, and no tsunami warnings were issued. On March 11 last year... - 9 hours ago
- Chile Rules Out Tsunami Following 6.2-Magnitude Earthquake - Bloomberg
7Online WSVN-TV Chile Rules Out Tsunami Following 6.2-Magnitude Earthquake Bloomberg Chile´s naval oceanographic service has ruled out a tsunami following a 6.2-magnitude earthquake that struck at... - 14 hours ago
Tsunami videos
vote upvote downshareprintflag
- Useful (33)
- Funny (5)
- Awesome (8)
- Beautiful (7)
- Interesting (10)
CommentsLoading...
excellent, it just had right amount of information to help me whit my essay, thanks
Thanks, Edwin. Glad the hub helped and that the effects of a tsunami are all listed in your essay now! Rick
THANXXXXXXXXXXX LOT . REALLY VERY HAPPY THAT U HELPED ME LOT IN LEARNING ABOUT TSUNAMIS... THANKU
Wow!
My project report will be a grand success!
Thanks again for all the comments, guys. Keep checking back for more. Rick
helped me a lot.....!!! :)thanxxxxx.....!!!!
Thank you very much.. :)
it helped me making a project on tsunami.. :)
Thank you veryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy much. This page helped me alot for my project. Again THANKUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
Thanks a £ot.it really help me for my project.
yeah it's damn helpful.......but spelling mistakes are there....
thanks for helping me!!!! it helped with my english test to write a report on a tsunami and i got all the info from this site!!!!!!!
i really liked this report and i am sure it will give me nice marks at school
The info here are really useful for my Geography project!THKS!:)
this is a really good website :)
Thanks really helped with my project :D x
ITS REALLY A GOOD WEBSITE...I GOT SATISFACTORY INFORMATIONS FOR MY PROJECT
dislike... I asked,"What is the range of destruction that a tsunami might cause" and it never answered that question anywhere. I like it because it is in the form of an essay. But dislike because I'm trying to finish something and it wasted my time.
it helped me in makig my project
THANK UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU VERY MUCH SIR FOR GIVING MORE INFORMATION ABOUT TSUNAMI.THANKS A LOT.
outstanding|||||||||||||.hlped me a lottttt fr my prjct
i got enough information for my project. thanks a lot
Thankssssssss.... it helped me n my project
This helped me a lot to make project
this information helped me a lot for my project
THANK U VERY MUCH
thxs,4 helping me 2 make my project.....thxs a lottttt
thanxxx..it helped in my project..!!!!
i got updat information from this,thaks a lot.
Thanks a lot. It helped me in my project on Tsunami.
Lot's of useful info outta here, helped me a lot on my project !!!!! Thanks Rick
thanxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx for helping me for my project
thanxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx for helping me for my project
Very Scary stuff.
thanks a lot as this helped me finish my assignments!!!!
ur simply gr8!!!
thank-you this answer saved me
really very useful..!!
it is a good summary about the affects of tsunami and it really helped me in my e.e.d project
grt its gonna help me alot in my geography project..............................thnx whoever made it..........!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GBU
the website doesn't give information on how tsunami effects the environment....
dats wat i wanted...
anyways,it carries a hell lot of information..good..!!
helped me a lot
thanks for helping
nyc... u guyz have really good amount of nfo. .. ty alot.... for d help..
awesum info
helpd me get the right info after searching for 2 whole hrs
THNKS ALLLLLOTT!!!1
thnks guyz ...dis help meh alottt in my project..!!!!
reallly ...thanx for the help for ma project of goegraphy..
Great wbsite for collecting data,helped a lot in ma project in tsunami.
IT REALLY GAVE ME KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THIS TOPICS AND HELPED ME TO MAKE MY GEO PROJECT.
nice and thanxxxxxxxxxxx this helps me a lot for my project
It was useful for my geography project.
thnxx ..this really helped me a lot in my disaster project ^_^
Help me a lot for my geography project...thanxxxxx a lot!!!!
thank u very very much for helpin me in my project love uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu............................
thankzz
thanx it helped me a lot
it helped in my projeect on tsunami.
i jus luv tsunamis.......
thnx....amazing info;)
So sad that tsunami is really doing a great damage and disaster to many lives.
ooooohhhhh....that was so sad that the tsunami do alot lf damage
thanks hubpages,me for helping in my project work
thanks for info
thank u this helped me a lot in my project thanksssssssss...
nice for helping in project
thanx for helping in my science project .
cloe:-)))))
thnx!!!!!!!!!!
Very useful for students...
Thanks A lot guyss...
i just finished my project with a bang..
awesome infos..helped me alot!
I am so thankful to you that i cannot tell you that i just finished my project,hey whoevever has made it very very very very thankyou otherwise i would be in a bad situation................................
thanx it helpd me alot in makng my project
thanks for providing imformation............!
This really helped me with my project. Thank you SO MUCH.
this helped me in making my project
well....... supa1
Thanxx alot...diz page provided alot of infornation about my project......
once again- THANK YOU !!!!!!! :)
woh wao tsunami has a good video on youtube
thankss....
This helped me a lot in making my project thanks a lot
this information heaped me a lottttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
thankssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
this wasnt the page i was looking for sorry but good context
thank you. This helped me a lot. Thanks ;)
Thanx a lot fo this information i hope people will be happy when i will be delivering this information in my presentation in class
Helped a alot thanxx
nice ,helpful website............got too much information
thankkkkkkkkkkkkk
thanxx buddy it really helped me!!!!!!!
nice, helpfull wedsite
info is also short and sweet........
TT is WONDERFUL
THANK U DEAR SIR
IT HELPED ME A LOT IN MAKING MY PROJECT!!!!!
It increased my knowledge!!!
thakxxxxxxxxxxxxxx!!!!!!!!
thanx a million
THANKXXXXXXXXXXXX A LOT. IT HELPED ME FOR MY PROJECT.
it helped me to make my assignment
thnxx love ths site
thank u vry much 4 helping me dear site
wtttttttffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff
Thanks for the help
thnx alot, it has helped me in my project
enough with the thank yous
Dud luv u hlpd me finish ma geo proj.
u rock man
dis has alot of information oits cool
thanx it helped me also 2 write my assignment
its great to have u...........:-):-)
finally got rid of my project
Thank you....
thnx so mch 2 d editor of dis website..............it hlpd me in my geo prjct n i gt 8/10.........thnx uncleee
this info is very useful for my project thank you
its so precious info need for me to complete my project
thanx a lot... it helped me soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much with my h/w i will suggest this 2 my friends at school got a great level after myh/w
THIS IS SOOOOOO AWSOME
AT LAST MY GEOGRAPHY PROJECT SUCCEEDED
THANKYOU VEEEEEEEEEERY MUCH
THANKSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS IT HELP ME A
LOT
THANX RICK
U REALLY INCREASED MY KNOWLEDGE ABOUT TSUNAMI.
PEOPLE LIKE U STUDY , AND BY COPING WE MAKE OUR PROJECT A SUCCESS
It helped me for my Project.thanxxx!
.........well it is an amazing site - hub pages it helped me a lot for completing my assignments and i hope it will help me.. onnn
it help me a lot thnxxxxxxxxxxx
thnx it realllyy help mee in ma project !!!!!!!!!!!!
how many human are death?
this helped me alot on my projecr thanxx alot
coooooooooooooool
Thanx a lot... It help me to project
same fr me
This helped me to do lote of project.
a lots of thanxxxxxxxxxxxxx
thanks 4 these..
This was great
dat very sad boi i doh no wat to say nah dat tsunami very dangerous
THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH!!! IT HELPS ME A LOT....
thank ya it really helped for my project
i was the highest in my class because of this website.i am so happy
this is really a good website it has made my project work easier and i am sure my teacher will like my project work
this website is amazing!!!!!!! it helped me finish my essay for science class in no time at all!!!! thank you so much!!!
thanksssssssssssss you verry much this page helped alot i lovet alla ykoun b3oun l jappaniyye
thank u whoever made this website. its really good. helped me a lot with my college essay.
thank u once again!!
tnks so mch,realy aprc8t d nfo.wld go a long way in my assignment
thank u sooooooooooo much i really aprc8t the info i got all 4s on this " cause and effect" essay
THXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX VERYYYYYYY MUCH
YOU HELP ME FOR MY ENGLISH PROJECT .THIS WEBSITE IS VERY GOOOD TRY IT!!!!
thanxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx it was a great help
you help me to learn about tsunami and it effects. that's excellent.
U guys r luvly.... helpd me 2 make my prjct soooo damn easily..... thnxxxx...... :-)
Dis is nice, u really helped wif my assignment. Gud 1
my project completed cuz this piece of information. thanx alot ....
helped me a lot
thnx you helped with my project stupid writing class
thnxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
hlpd a lot in my project
amazing
it helped me in my project,thanks
omg!this info is totally helpful...!!!!thank u rick for being so helpful!
tq! u made my day .
that was very helpful information, thank you :)
thats not wat i wanted but there is some gr8 information about tsunami i am not interested in this page
its not good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
tahnkxx i completed ,y project nicely
Great info keep it up
this helped me greatly on my assignment
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SAD...
TSUNAMI IS A NATURAL DEVIL.
POOR JAPAN
i didn't know tsunamis were this bad
thxs
this provided me with no information ....... but the pics where amazing.ummmmmmmmmmmm it was ok i got SOME information. thx anyway?
This helped me to do my assignment
this is a very nyc site.... especially when u want to complete ur geo project fast!!!! really its awsom.....
It is very nice but takes too much time to save
thank you so much this was really helpful
keep up the good standards
love it xxx
IT HELPED ME A LOT.THANKYOU!:P
Thanks who make this web site i am help the make project work of tsunami. Thank you very much you are best infromation web site of the world.
great information
ThNkzzz for this wonderfull project.I am sure that I will get Nice Marks for my project :)
ratnesh 20 months ago
nice