Tsunami Damage

Tsunamis are capable of causing a substantial amount of damage. One tsunami can destroy an entire coastal village and remove all the sand from a beach and sand that took hundreds of years to accumulate. Below are examples of the destructive power of tsunamis:

• New Guinea - July 17, 1998
  
  At 6:49 PM on July 17, 1998, an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter Scale shook the western Bismark Sea. Almost twenty minutes later, a series of 3 giant tsunami waves crashed on to the shore of New Guinea between Aitape and Serai. Over 2200 Villagers were crushed and drowned while the over 10,000 survivors were left homeless.
  
  
  
  Destruction of the village of Teles.
  
  
  
• Kalapana, Hawaii - November 29, 1975
  
  On November 29, 1975, an earthquake with an intensity of 7.2 shook the town of Kalapana, Hawaii. Within a few minutes, a 47-foot tall tsunami crushed the town, resulting in property damage of over 4.1 million dollars and claiming the lives of two innocent people.
  
  
  
  A home demolished by the tsunami.