Simulation and helpful illustrations show the terrifying power of a one-meter tsunami 【Video】

Anything less than your height might not seem like a big deal, but trust us, it is.

Japan has been experiencing a spike of earthquakes both big and small recently, and one in particular on June 18 prompted officials to issue a tsunami warning in Niigata, Yamagata, and Ishikawa Prefectures.

The warning said waves up to only a meter (3.2 feet) were predicted, and when you compare this to the 16.7 meter tall wave that hit Japan during the Tohoku Disaster in 2011, one meter doesn’t seem like anything to worry about. However, Japanese Twitter users were quick to stamp out any false sense of security with powerful imagery.

One example that circulated was originally made in November 2016 by Twitter user @twehrsg. This helpful chart represents the difference between a normal wave and the rush of a tsunami.

▼ This image shows that while a normal four-meter-high wave finishes in an instant, a four-meter tall tsunami is like that same four-meter wave extended for dozens of kilometers.

Around the third image, the kanji characters for “dirt,” “wood,” “stone,” and “car” are mixed in there, indicating that it’s not just the water that’s going to hit you – it’s also the stuff that gets sucked into the tsunami that’s going to come hurtling towards you.

This Tweet from @kouseimei1122 illustrates the same concept but with a one-meter wave. Most people imagine a single one-meter wave hitting the shoreline, but it’s actually a stream of water that continuously flows in at the same intense rate.

▼ Even if the water only comes up to your waist, there’s no way you can take this standing up.

Perhaps the most impactful and informative tsunami fact is from a tsunami simulation video that Twitter user @spla_duralumin uploaded. The simulation mimics the force of a one-meter tall tsunami with viewers standing at a safe distance away.

▼ Warning to headphone users: this is a bit loud, but we recommend you listen to it with the sound on in order to experience the full effect, however.

It’s not only the sound of the initial impact that’s frightening, but also the height to which the wave sprays up to before continuing its tsunami flow.

Other internet users chimed in with their wealth of tsunami knowledge as well.

“A one-meter tall tsunami has the force of one tonne. There’s a 100% chance you’ll die.”
“It only takes a 50-centimeter tall tsunami to knock a person down..it’s insane.”
“A tsunami isn’t a wave coming. It’s the whole ocean coming.”

In conclusion, no matter how non-intimidating one meter may seem, you should never take a tsunami warning lightly, and always pay attention to any visual cues that will alert you to impending danger.

Sources: Twitter/@twehrsg, @kouseimei1122, and @spla_duralim via Hachima Kikou
Featured image: Twitter/@spla_duralim



Credit:
at 18:03

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