The word Tsunami was figuratively used for describing the financial market collapse. Is the usage correct? Tsunami is a tidal wave and can be figuratively used to refer to any upsurge or raising. Not for a fall. The financial market collapse in US cannot be referred to as "financial tsunami". Will english language experts clarify.Answers with illustrations welcome.
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market samurai ~ marketsamurai ~ marketsamurai.com

Thanks for taking time for sharing this article, it is excellent and very informative..
GED SCHOOLS

Could a tsunami be so high that it could wash across the state of Florida from the east to west coast? I saw a pretty scary show on Discover Channel that showed how landslides, usually from the sides of volcanoes near the sea, can cause HUGE tsunamis (much higher than underwater earthquakes). It said they can be hundreds of feet high (like one in Alaska). I'm just wondering if an Atlantic tsunami could wash over the state of Florida from east coast to west?

I am SO sorry for not popping back in here past few months vorenaxy - no excuse other than crazy busy .. but that's a cop-out so my bad.

Although extremely rare, a tsunami could happen along the East coast of U.S. and Canada if an major volcanic eruption occurred on The Canary Islands causing a major landslide to dump into the ocean. But there's a lot of debate as to impact and height of tsunami waves that would hit the east coast (as described below). As we saw with Japan's recent and 2004 Indonesian tsunami, powerful walls of water get pushed into mainland due to the series of waves created by the displaced water from initial impact. But in both those cases the tsunamis were caused by subduction zone earthquakes which displace major amounts of water from seafloor .. rather than from a landslide.

But as far as your Florida question .. since most of the state is at sea level a massive Atlantic tsunami could create havoc esp the coastlines. But there are several high points in the state over 300 feet (90+ m) so it's doubtful water would cover state coast to coast from a Canary Island scenario.

If interested, Maine's Geological Survey has some good data and analysis on the possible Canary Island impact and/or mega-tsunami and I've snipped out parts of it below.

The Canary Islands are a volcanic island-arc chain located in the eastern Atlantic Ocean just west of the Moroccan coastline. La Palma is the western-most and the youngest of the Canary Islands, and is volcanically active with 3 large volcanoes. It is home to the most active volcano of the Canaries, Cumbre Vieja, which last erupted in 1949 and 1971. It is here that some researchers point to as a possible ticking time bomb for large tsunami creation in the Atlantic Ocean.

Based on a study of past landslide deposits and existing geology of the volcano, Ward and Day (2001) suggest that the west flank of the Cumbre Vieja volcano may experience catastrophic failure during a future eruption, resulting in a landslide of a block of 15-20 km in width and 15-25 km long into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. Computer modeling suggests that such an event could trigger a massive mega-tsunami hundreds of meter in height that would propagate to the north, south, and west. Within 9 hours, an estimated 10-25 meter wave could reach the US east coast.

Although the flank instability of Cumbre Vieja is noted, many scientists tend to disagree with massive failure of the western flank of the volcano; rather, they think it would happen in smaller separate events that would not be capable of triggering a mega-tsunami. There is much scientific debate over the timing of an eruption that would trigger such events (considered to be decades to thousands of years), whether or not a massive failure of Cumbre Vieja's flank would occur during an eruption, or even if a mega-tsunami could possibly result (and reach the United States with such projected wave sizes). Mader (2001) used different wave modeling and determined that the resulting tsunami waves that reached the U.S. east coast and Caribbean would be on the order of 3 meters.

The International Tsunami Information Center provided the following information in regards to the creation of a mega-tsunami by massive flank failure:

-- While the active volcano of Cumbre Vieja on Las Palma is expected to erupt again, it will not send a large part of the island into the ocean, though small landslides may occur.

-- No such event - a mega tsunami - has occurred in either the Atlantic or Pacific oceans in recorded history.

-- The colossal collapses of Krakatau or Santorin (the two most similar known happenings) generated catastrophic waves in the immediate area but hazardous waves did not propagate to distant shores. Carefully performed numerical and experimental model experiments on such events and of the postulated Las Palma event verify that the relatively short waves from these small, though intense, occurrences do not travel as do tsunami waves from a major earthquake.

Source: Maine Geological Survey http://www.maine.gov/doc/nrimc/mgs/explore/hazards/tsunami/jan05.htm

I apologize for the lack of other countries' links so please add any safety tips, links and/or experiences that can help others! Thx, itsa

A tsunami [soo-nah´-mee] is a series of huge, destructive waves caused by an undersea disturbance from an earthquake, volcano, landslide, or even a meteorite. As the waves approach the shallow coastal waters, they appear normal and the speed decreases. Then, as the tsunami nears the coastline, it turns into a gigantic, forceful wall of water that smashes into the shore with speeds exceeding 600 miles per hour (965 km/h)! Usually tsunamis are about 20 feet (6 m) high, but extreme ones can get as high as 100 feet (30 m) or more!

A tsunami is a series of waves and the first wave may not be the largest one, plus the danger can last for many hours after the first wave hits. During the past 100 years, more than 200 tsunamis have been recorded in the Pacific Ocean due to earthquakes and Japan has suffered a majority of them.

The best way to survive a tsunami is,,,,,,,,,,,,,NOT TO BE IN ONE,,,,,the pole shift is fast approaching,,we will have immense earth crust displacement,,,not to go on a lengthy explanation,,85% of the movie 2012 will happen,,,,,the tsunamis will be over 1000´,and will travel 100´s of miles in land,,,,,,,find a safe location,,find a group of like minded people withe the vision to survive,,,,then prepare to be on your own for 23 months,,,,, I am in Torreon the safest place on the planet,,,if you need more info. please let me know,,,,,,,,,,,,evergreenenter@aol.com peace and love to you all,,,be well my friends,,,

The Pacific Ocean tsunami warning system was put in place back in 1949. As of June 2006, the Indian Ocean has a tsunami warning system, and NOAA expanded the Pacific system to include the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico and areas of the Atlantic around the U.S. coast as of mid-2007.

Did you know...

...a tsunami is not a tidal wave - it has nothing to do with the tide?!

...another name used to describe a tsunami is “harbor wave”

...“tsu” means harbor and “nami” means wave in Japanese?!

...sometimes the ocean floor is exposed near the shore since a tsunami can cause the water to recede or move back before slamming in to shore?!

...tsunamis can travel up streams and rivers that lead to the ocean?!

BEFORE A TSUNAMI:

Learn the buzzwords - Learn words used by both the West Coast / Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (WC/ATWC - for AK, BC, CA, OR, and WA) and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC - for international authorities, HI and all U.S. territories within Pacific basin) for tsunami threats...
• Advisory - an earthquake has occurred in the Pacific basin which might generate a tsunami
• Watch - a tsunami was or may have been generated, but is at least 2 hours travel time from Watch area
• Warning - a tsunami was / may have been generated and could cause damage to Warning area - should evacuate

Learn risks - If new to area, call local emergency management office and ask what the warning signals are and what to do when you hear them. Coastal areas less than 25 feet above sea level and within a mile of shoreline along coasts are at greatest risk. Or visit http://www.tsunamiready.noaa.gov

Make a plan - Develop a Family Emergency Plan (e.g. establish meeting places, list of emergency contact #s, out of state contact person, etc) and Disaster Supplies Kits/BOBs.

Listen - Make sure you have a battery-operated radio (with spare batteries) for weather forecasts and updates. (Radios like Environment Canada’s Weatheradio and NOAA’s Weather Radio have a tone-alert feature that automatically alerts you when a Watch or Warning has been issued.)

Water signs - If near water or shore, watch for a noticeable rise or fall in the normal depth of coastal water - that’s advance warning of a tsunami so get to high ground. Also - if water pulls away from shoreline and exposes sea floor - run to higher ground ASAP!!

Feeling shaky...? - If you feel an earthquake in the Pacific Coast area (from Alaska down to Baja), listen to the radio for tsunami warnings.

Is that it...? - Don’t be fooled by the size of one wave - more will follow and they could get bigger … and a small tsunami at one beach can be a giant wave a few miles away!

Be ready to evacuate - Listen to local authorities and leave if you are told to evacuate.

DURING A TSUNAMI:

Leave - If you are told to evacuate, DO IT! Remember - a tsunami is a series of waves - the first one may be small but who knows what the rest will bring. Grab your BOB/Disaster Supplies Kit and GO!

IF ON OR NEAR SHORE - Get off the shore and get to higher ground quickly! Stay away from rivers and streams that lead to the ocean since tsunamis can travel up them too. You cannot outrun a tsunami ... if you see the wave it’s too late!

IF ON A BOAT - It depends where you are -- either get to land or go
further out to sea ...

• In port - May not have time to get out of port or harbor and out to sea - check with authorities to see what you should do. Smaller boats may want to dock and get passengers and crew to land quickly.

• In open ocean - DO NOT return to port if a tsunami warning has been issued since wave action is barely noticeable in the open ocean! Stay out in open sea or ocean until authorities advise danger has passed.

Don’t go there - Do NOT try to go down to the shoreline to watch and don’t be fooled by size of one wave - more will follow and they could get bigger so continue listening to radio and TV.

AFTER A TSUNAMI:

Listen - Whether on land or at sea, local authorities will advise when it is safe to return to the area -- keep listening to radio and TV updates.

Watch out - Look for downed power lines, flooded areas and other damage caused by the waves.

Don’t go in there - Try to stay out of buildings or homes that are damaged until it is safe to enter and wear sturdy work boots and gloves when working in the rubble.

Strange critters – Be aware that the waves may bring in many critters from the ocean (marine life) so watch out for pinchers and stingers!

RED or GREEN sign in window – After a disaster, Volunteers and Emergency Service personnel may go door-to-door to check on people. By placing a sign in your window that faces the street near the door, you can let them know if you need them to STOP HERE or MOVE ON.
Either use a piece of RED or GREEN construction paper or draw a big RED or GREEN “X” (using a crayon or marker) on a piece of paper and tape it in the window.
-- RED means STOP HERE!
-- GREEN means EVERYTHING IS OKAY…MOVE ON!
-- Nothing in the window would also mean STOP HERE!

Insurance - If your home suffers any damage, contact your insurance agent and keep all receipts for clean-up and repairs.

Mold - Consider asking a restoration professional to inspect your house for mold. Also check out http://www.epa.gov/mold

Some additional things to check and do...
- Check electrical system (watch for sparks, broken wires or the smell of hot insulation)
- Check appliances after turning off electricity at main fuse and, if wet, unplug and let them dry out. Call a professional to check them before using.
- Check water and sewage system and, if pipes are damaged, turn off main water valve.
- Throw out food, makeup and medicines that may have been exposed to flood waters and check refrigerated foods to see if they are spoiled. If frozen foods have ice crystals in them then okay to refreeze.
- Throw out moldy items that are porous (like rotten wood, carpet padding, furniture, etc.) if they’re too difficult to clean and remove mold. Remove standing water and scrub moldy surfaces with non-ammonia soap or detergent, or a commercial cleaner, rinse with clean water and dry completely. Then use a mixture of 1 part bleach to 10 parts clean water to wipe down surfaces or items, rinse and dry.
- Secure valuable items or move them to another location, if possible

Above extracted from IT'S A DISASTER! book (proceeds benefit APN and IPN)

Additional resources...

West Coast / Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (WC/ATWC - for AK, BC, CA, OR, and WA) http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/

Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC - for international authorities, HI and all U.S. territories within Pacific basin) http://www.weather.gov/ptwc/

TsunamiReady http://www.tsunamiready.noaa.gov/

CDC's Tsunami page http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/tsunamis/

Flood safety tips thread on IPN http://www.internationalpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=66

Earthquakes mitigation & safety tips discussion on IPN http://www.internationalpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=68