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Small tsunami apparently struck the East Coast

Posted at 7:39 AM, Jun 26, 2013
and last updated 2013-06-26 09:14:47-04

A small tsunami apparently struck the East Coast during a storm on June 13th, but most people didn’t notice.

Tsunami-like conditions were observed at more than 30 tide gauges along the East Coast, Bermuda and Puerto Rico, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said, according to the Associated Press.

The highest peak amplitude was recorded in Newport, R.I, where it reached just under a foot above sea level. Gauges in Kiptopeke  and Atlantic City  recorded similar peaks, according to NOAA.

A strong storm moved through the region and offshore that day, and scientists were trying to determine if it played a role.

NOAA’s West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center posted a statement calling it a tsunami.

…researchers are looking for a cause. One possibility is a rare meteotsunami (pronounced MEE’-tee-oh tsoo-NAHM’-ee), which is a tsunami caused by weather. Or it could have been caused by a landslide off the continental shelf, which is less rare but still uncommon…

Read more at the Associated Press.

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