Summary:
- The Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004 came from a massive earthquake.
- Waves in some regions topped 9 meters (27 feet) The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake offshore was a magnitude 9.0, and damage from the quake was extensive.
- Communities around the Pacific have had a tsunami warning system since 1948.
- People in communities very close to the earthquake do not have enough time to move out of the area.
- Farther away from the earthquake, evacuation of low-lying areas saves lives.