Can a tsunami happen on Long Island?

But the good news is that a tsunami will almost certainly never hit Long Island. Tsunamis such as the one that hit South Asia Dec. 26 are generally caused by a submarine earthquake that raises the sea floor, causing a massive displacement of water.

What happens when a tsunami hits an island?

When a tsunami reaches land, it hits shallower water. The shallow water and coastal land acts to compress the energy traveling through the water.

How far inland would a tsunami go on the east coast?

However, while there is no indication it could happen soon (but could), there are scientifically sound reasons for concern that at some point a mega-tsunami could engulf the entire East Coast with a wave almost 200 feet high sweeping everything and everybody up to 20 miles inland.

Is Long Island on a fault line?

It’s known by geologists in the region as the Manhattanville or 125th Street Fault, and it runs all the way across the top of Central Park and, eventually, underneath Long Island City.

Has Connecticut ever had a tsunami?

Approximately 1 hour after the storm moved through New Haven the tsunami waves reached the coast of Connecticut after being reflected back from the North Shore of Long Island. The waves had an amplitude of about 2 feet and a period of about 30 minutes and continued for a few hours Thursday evening.

What impact do islands have on the tsunami waves?

It turns out that small islands boost the power of big tsunami waves, rather than absorbing their impact, a new study shows. In a computer model, a small island amplified tsunami flooding directly behind it by up to 70 percent.

Can islands stop a tsunami?

An offshore island might appear to block incoming tsunami waves, but safety is far from guaranteed in an island’s shadow, new research indicates. Offshore landmasses in fact cause higher levels of wave run-up on mainland coastlines for some types of tsunami waves, according to scale model tests.

What is the farthest a tsunami has traveled inland?

10 miles
Tsunamis can travel as far as 10 miles (16 km) inland, depending on the shape and slope of the shoreline. Hurricanes also drive the sea miles inward, putting people at risk.

How common are tsunamis on Long Island?

The answer to that depends on a number of variables, most importantly the location and intensity of the event causing the tsunami. On Long Island, as with much of the Eastern coast of the US, tsunamis are relatively rare; although some events could still cause a tsunami event here.

How far inland do tsunamis surge?

However, tsunamis can surge up to 10 miles inland. “It’s really just kind of relentless, the water just keeps on coming and coming and coming for a long time,” Garrison-Laney says.

Could a mega tsunami hit the east coast?

There are scientifically sound reasons for concern that at some point in time a mega tsunami could engulf the entire East Coast with a wave approximating 300 feet in height and sweep everything and everybody inland. The consequences of such an event are nearly unimaginable.

Why do local tsunamis pose the greatest threat?

Local tsunamis pose the greatest threat because tsunamis are most damaging near their source and there is little time to issue official warnings and evacuate. The public must know how to recognize and respond to natural tsunami warnings, such as ground shaking from an earthquake.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=572myXhqNI8