Earthquakes, especially powerful ones, can cause serious damage to people, land, and property. The shaking ground weakens structures, sometimes so much that they collapse completely. When this happens, building materials such as metal, concrete, bricks, and glass can fall on people below if they have not taken cover. The sudden trauma to the ground can also cause landslides and floods.
One of the most well-known effects of earthquakes are tsunamis. Tsunamis are huge, powerful waves in the ocean that result from earthquakes. They can be thousands of miles long, and they travel vast distances across the ocean at extreme speeds. Some are as high as 100 feet tall, although they are more commonly between 10 and 30 feet tall. Because they are so fast and powerful, they sweep away people, cars, houses, and even whole towns.
The deadliest tsunami on record happened in 2004 after a 9.3 earthquake in Indonesia. The giant wave hit 5 or more countries, including Indonesia, Thailand, and India, and it killed more than 215,000 people.

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