Tonga Volcano Tsunami Waves

Wonder of nature

Churning echoes from afar

Roars into my soul

I received a tsunami Alert this morning as I opened my Gmail. I didn’t know it could that, so thanks Google for that.

I checked the expected arrival times for the waves here on the Pacific Northwest Coast and the expected wave size. I walk this stretch of beach regularly and know the area well. The police had blocked the road and were getting cars off the beach when I arrived. Here is a video I posted to my YouTube Channel. I left the audio so you could hear the roar.

This is the first time I have ever seen a tsunami, so I made sure to stay safe. The dunes are 15–20 feet above the shoreline. The initial waves arrived between 8:45–9:00AM.

The tsunami waves were choppier as if they were riding atop the normal waves. Although the phrase is overused, it was truly awe-inspiring to witness such massive raw energy echoing across the vast Pacific Ocean. I wrote the haiku above in my head while watching the tsunami waves arrive on my beach.

The animated clip at the beginning of this video comes from

https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/news/hunga-tonga-hunga-haapai-erupts-again