Living in on the mid Atlantic coast, there are a lot of extreme weather events that you need to keep your eyes open for. Tornados that rip through Arlington, TX real estate, hurricanes like the one that flattened New Orleans, ice storms, lightning. Tsunamis, however, are a highly unusual occurrence in this part of the world. It's not impossible that you might have to face one though, so we've compiled this article on tsunami facts to help you be prepared for anything.

Tsunami is a Japanese word which translates loosely into "harbor wave." It describes the humungous series of water waves that periodically plague coastlines and send people fleeing from their Puerto Vallarta condominium rentals into the hills. Tsunamis are commonly known as tidal waves in English speaking areas, but since Japan is the area most often affected by the phenomenon (there are over 190 recorded events), the Japanese name has been taking over in the common parlance.

Tsunamis were once thought to be freak accidents, but today we know that they are actually caused by underwater disturbances such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and explosions, that set the water to vibrating in a way that greatly amplifies the height of the natural wave forms to the point where they are capable of sweeping far enough onshore to wash away houses for sale in Aurora. Tsunamis should not be confused with storm surges, which are extra high tides generated by tropical storms, though some of the effects are the same.