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.
A NASA-led research team may have come one step closer to accurately predicting the size of earthquake-induced tsunamis. Tsunamis are generated when an earthquake or underwater landslide displaces a large amount of water; only when that displaced water reaches shore does it turn into large waves.