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 tsunami waves traveled through a region that lacks any warning system. Ocean buoys in a tsunami warning network can alert people to a lethal wave's approach hours before it hits, giving them time to move to higher ground. Tsunamis hold a special fear for the West Coast of the U.S.