Many people acted heroically in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The Coast Guard, for instance, rescued some 34,000 people in New Orleans alone, and many ordinary citizens commandeered boats, offered food and shelter, and did whatever else they could to help their neighbors.
Tidal waves, or tides, are a predictable, com-mon occurrence along coastal communities, generated by forces beyond Earthâthe gravitational pull of the sun and moon. However, tsunamis are not predictable. They are often generated by earth-quakes, volcanic activity, and slope failure.idal waves, or tides, are a predictable, com-mon occurrence along coastal communities, generated by forces beyond Earthâthe gravitational pull of the sun and moon. However, tsunamis are not predictable. They are often generated by earth-quakes, volcanic activity, and slope failure.
Tsunamis have occurred through history, but there is still much to learn about them. Here are the basics. TSUNAMIS WERE VIRTUALLY UNHEARD of in the mass media until the catastrophic monster waves that struck on Boxing Day in 2004. But large events like the earthquake and tsunami in Chile in 2010 and the recent Japanese disaster have put tsunamis back into the public consciousness. Though they have occurred through history, their unpredictability and infrequency makes them difficult to study.