A major earthquake this week has parts of the United States and other countries on high alert for a potential tsunami. On Wednesday, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake was detected 50 miles south of the Alaskan island-city of Sand Point.

Ground shaking was strongest in Sand Point, with reports of "objects flying out of the pantry and off of shelves," noted the Alaska Earthquake Center.

A so-called "doomsday tsunami" is likely to hit the United States in the near future, but scientists now say there is a possibility that it could happen sooner than previously thought.

A tsunami striking the U.S. mainland might seem far-fetched, but scientists say preparation is crucial because it will happen — it’s just a matter of when.

The tsunami capital of the continental United States is Crescent City, Calif. (population 7,542), an economically depressed logging and fishing town just south of the Oregon border.

24/7 Wall St. reviewed the map to identify the states that could be hit by tsunamis. States are listed alphabetically. ( Here’s another list of how many tornadoes hit the U.S. each year since ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. This article is more than 9 years old. You would be surprised at how often meteorologists get asked about tsunamis. A tsunami ...