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.
The DART system can detect a tsunami as small as a centimeter high above the sea level. NASA is also heavily involved in the quest to predict deadly tsunamis before the occur. In 2010, researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory successfully demonstrated elements of a prototype tsunami prediction system.