This link was sent to me by my brother -
http:// http://coreykoberg.com/Tsunami/
Shows the tsumani wave coming ashore and people watching it.
Here on N.H. seacoast we get strong ocean storms and the waves come over the sea wall - inevitably there are people who stand at the wall watching the waves come in - as the people in the picture are doing - unaware of the danger. It's a dangerous thing to do. Waves pull up debris from the ocean floor, including large rocks which can kill because of the force of the water. Then as the wave receded with the tidal pull, you can be knocked off your feet and caught by the water.
In Hawaii, where they suffered a terrible tsunami in 1946 they say that if you can see the wave it is too late to run.
I guess my message is this : if there is a coastal storm, resist the urge to go to the shore and watch the ocean. http://www.drgeorgepc.com/Tsunami1946.html
For technical information on the Pacific warning system, just Google "Hawaii tsunami."