2. When the ocean level drops, danger is not far behind
If you’re walking along the beach in the Ring of Fire, aka the coasts along much of the Pacific Ocean, and the water starts receding, you may be in trouble. Are the coral reefs uncovered? Don’t waste any time looking at flopping fishes or pretty corals, get to high ground as fast as possible. A tsunami is likely on the way.
Tsunamis are usually formed when an earthquake happens underwater, which displaces the water above it. At this point, the waves can move as fast as a jet airplane — 500 miles per hour — across the ocean. You may as well keep a look out for the ocean level dropping along other beaches, because while tsunamis are most common in the Pacific, they happen elsewhere too.