Off the list Shawn Baker and I were discussing tsunamis when the question came to mind: who out there has actually experienced a tsunami? Even though I have lived on the west coast almost all my life, I have never seen one! Anecdotes? -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> ---------- > From: Dave Kruger[SMTP:dkruger_at_pacifier.com] > > who out there has actually experienced a tsunami? Even though I > have lived on the west coast almost all my life, I have never seen one! > This past year the Discovery Channel had a program on tsunamis. I tuned in and learned some very interesting facts (i.e. tsunamis top the list of natural disaters for the number of lives it takes-interesting because they are somewhat of a rarity) but was disappointed that there has never been one photographed. All the program showed was the trail of destruction after the fact and eye-witness accounts. Since they are caused by earthquakes occuring deep in the ocean, they can be identified and tracked yet noone has dropped a remote camera in the area or stood on a mountain top with a video camera in the location where it comes ashore. Debbie Reeves Sandy Hook, NJ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> ---------- > From: Dave Kruger[SMTP:dkruger_at_pacifier.com] > > who out there has actually experienced a tsunami? Even though I > have lived on the west coast almost all my life, I have never seen one! > | This past year the Discovery Channel had a program on tsunamis. I |tuned in and learned some very interesting facts (i.e. tsunamis top the list |of natural disaters for the number of lives it takes-interesting because |they are somewhat of a rarity) but was disappointed that there has never |been one photographed. All the program showed was the trail of destruction |after the fact and eye-witness accounts. Since they are caused by |earthquakes occuring deep in the ocean, they can be identified and tracked |yet noone has dropped a remote camera in the area or stood on a mountain top |with a video camera in the location where it comes ashore. | Debbie Reeves There is a show floating around either on Discovery, TLC or AandE that has footage of a Tsunmai hitting Japan. You can see the water moving OUT to sea and then shortly there after a frothing white wave moving back toward shore. Its not an Hawaii 5-O type of wave just a tall single wave. Maybe 6 feet tall. But very steep. The footage shows the wave moving into the harbor and tossing fishing boats around like a rubber ducky in a tub. There are some shots of one boat trying to manuever in the harbor and not having much luck against the water which at this point was rebounding of docks and jetties. Very ugly. There are some still pictures of a Tsuanmi hitting Hawii back in the 40s/50s? I think in Hawaii some people were killed when they thought the wave was not going to arrive and they saw the water leave the harbor. Cool they said...... If you see the water start to flow away from shore, this is not a good thing! 8-) One had better find some high ground. Quickly! 8-) Hope this helps.... Dan McCarty *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Dave, I have a mental picture of a Tsunami tens of feet tall crashing through a coastal village. Some time ago I was sailing as a radio officer aboard a container ship. It was my first shipping experience in the Pacific. One afternoon (off the coast of Japan) I copied, via Morse Code, a warning signal followed by "tsunami warning". Fearing a devastating wall of water (possibly accompanied by Godzilla's appearance) I intently copied the broadcast that followed...... -.-. --.- - - - - - - - - - The warning specified a Tsunami of height 10 Centimeters ....about 5 inches. I was somewhat disappointed to say the least I thought we were in for a real adventure. We may or may not have experienced a Tsunami but it was hard to tell as seas commonly were 10 to 20 feet in the North Pacific during the winter. In any event, it was interesting to learn that the wave was not necessarily a huge event. But a quick change of tide totaling 5 inches could certainly break mooring lines of ships moored to a pier, strand a fisherman that had ventured to the end of a jetty or wash your precious kayak away from the beach during the camping trip. Many more Tsunami warnings were copied during my stint out there. I never did see Godzilla. Tom Rhode Island *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
In a message dated 11/11/1999 4:10:18 PM Central Standard Time, WILAX_at_aol.com writes: << But a quick change of tide totaling 5 inches could certainly break mooring lines of ships moored to a pier, strand a fisherman that had ventured to the end of a jetty or wash your precious kayak away from the beach during the camping trip. Many more Tsunami warnings were copied during my stint out there. I never did see Godzilla. Tom Rhode Island >> A Tsunami wave in the middle of the ocean might not be more than 5 inches high and would not be noticed, but as the wave approaches shore, it rebounds off the bottom and the amplitude increases tremendously. Also they travel at a very high rate of speed. This slows down a lot when the wave cycle contacts the bottom and friction has an effect on the wave. This does not lessen the destructive capability though. As to movie or video footage of them, when I taught school we had a movie that had a short film clip taken by an amateur photographer aboard a ship. He was filming his friend on the dock waving to him when it hit. All hell broke loose, the camera continued to roll and the friend disappeared. After the water from the wave receded, you could see the destruction to the wharf area. The friend was nowhere to be found. I wish I had a reference to the production company or the name of the film but I don't recall it. John LeBlanc O (____/_______) ~~~~~~/~~~~~~~~~ Bluecanoe2_at_aol.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:05 PDT