Why do tsunamis (20~ft) cause more damage and flooding than the waves that surfers surf (world record 86ft)?
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A surf wave crashes where it normally does – on a surf break, in the ocean a bit out from shore. The wave moves towards land and then as the shore approaches, the bottom of the wave slows, the top gets bigger, and then it breaks.
The Tsunami doesn’t break and crash on the beach. It’s a much bigger wall of water that just keeps pushing inland. It’s more like ‘the ocean got 20 feet taller for a half hour’ and so if there is a beach town that is 10 feet above sea level, suddenly that town is 10 feet below water for a half hour or so. And water is heavy, so it is these waves just crashing into the side of a house, into cars, into patio furniture, etc. Pushing debris inland which in turn crashes into other houses…
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