Without warning, earthquakes strike.  They are sudden and will catch you by surprise.  Knowing what to during an earthquake will increase your chances of riding it out unharmed.

As a lifelong resident of the Gulf Coast, I’ll be the first to say, I don’t know much about earthquakes. As a consequence, you’ll find my name absent from this whole section. Still, I have to edit, and a good editor has to ask questions, and if need be, check facts. When I noticed we had a Tsunami section, I scratched my head. I think it’s fair to ask, “Are tsunamis really a credible threat to the United States?”

First let me say, that I have no doubt places like Hawaii and US possessions in the Pacific are vulnerable, and no offense to those you there, but that doesn’t mean much to East, West, and Gulf coast residents.

As it turns out, I was…wrong.

If I say the word "earthquake," chances are the first word you associate, is "California." While there's a good reason for that, the truth is, earthquakes can happen anywhere in the United States. 

A tsunami is a series of destructive waves affecting shorelines. Tsunamis are usually generated by earthquakes. Tsunamis may also be caused by underwater landslides or underwater volcanic eruptions.

Once an earthquake is over, you have to be ready to deal with potential damage as well as for what may come next.

Tsunamis are ocean waves produced by earthquakes or underwater landslides. The word is Japanese and means "harbor wave," because of the devastating effects these waves have had on low-lying Japanese coastal communities.