5 Most Powerful Tsunamis in US History

Scientists say that a tsunami is created by the displacement of water caused by a large-scale event. They typically happen in an ocean or a really large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other underwater events such as detonations, landslides, glacier calving, meteorite impacts, and other disturbances that occur above or below water can cause a major incident like this.

Tsunamis are different from regular ocean waves, which are caused by wind or tides, that get their origin from the gravitational attraction of the Moon and the Sun.

As interesting as it sounds in theory, the reality is completely different. There’s never a good time for a tsunami to hit, especially because it leaves an incredible mess behind, including death, homeless people, and a lot of material damage.

Speaking of that, we’ve compiled a list of the 5 worst tsunamis that have ever hit our beautiful country. And before you click on the next page, here’s something terrifying: 3 of the 5 tsunamis occurred relatively close to one another.