THE 5 MAIN CONSEQUENCES OF A TSUNAMI - ENVIRONMENT - 2026

The most important consequences of a tsunami are the product of the arrival of a group of waves of great size and energy to the coasts causing flooding to the nearby towns and cities.

These large waves originate when an oceanic subduction plate displaces the water mass vertically causing waves of great size, energy and magnitude to form.

The waves or ocean waves that occur during a tsunami are caused by earthquakes or underwater explosions, they can also be caused by volcanic activity or underwater testing of nuclear devices.

The consequences of a tsunami are devastating, being one of the worst natural disasters in the world. In fact, tsunami flooding continues to cause damage for several weeks.

The most important consequences of a tsunami

Loss of life

As tsunamis are difficult to detect because the waves get bigger as they approach the coasts, the population cannot be prevented in sufficient time to move to high areas far from the sea and thus avoid loss of life human.

A tsunami can cause many deaths, not only human, but also of the fauna of the region where it occurs.

Destruction of buildings

When a tsunami happens, the destructive power drags everything in its path, even the vegetation, flora and fauna are destroyed.

Landslides occur, coasts change their shape and tend to move towards the sea.

The topography of a region affected by a tsunami can change dramatically.

Economic damages

After a tsunami, the economy is deeply affected, governments face an almost total reconstruction of the affected areas.

The monetary and economic costs generated by humanitarian aid to the affected people are high, local economies, governments, businesses and companies enter an economic recession.

Medical consequences

In addition to the considerable loss of life caused by a tsunami, many injuries and injuries are generated, diseases are also spread after the disaster.

The main diseases that originate from a tsunami are related to the supply of poor quality water and the quality of the food consumed.

People get sick as a result of drinking contaminated water and also as a result of contact with sick people.

Hygiene problems are intensified because the sewage system is affected, causing the mixing of drinking water sources with contaminated water.

References

1. Walter C. Dudley, Min Lee (1988), Tsunami! Hawaii, EU: University of Hawaii Press.
2. Draper Robert (2005), Tsunamis: causes & consequences recovered from brlsi.org
3. Bernard Eddie N. (2003), The Tsunami Story retrieved from noaa.gov
4. Bernard Eddie N. (1999), Tsunami. Natural Disaster Management. Leicester, UK: Tudor Rose
5. Kontar, YA (2014) Tsunami Events and Lessons Learned: Environmental and Societal Significance: Springer.com.