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1 meter is bad. That's a lot of water full of things you don't want slamming into you or any structure. Then it comes back full of even worse things.

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Is 1 meter bad? In context it seems to be missing what kind of waves normally hit the coast line, and what kind tide differences exist, and what the current water level is when the wave hit.

What is a typical maximum wave height during hurricane seasons in north of japan?

Apparently 2 meters is : A 2 meters (6 ft 7 in) high tsunami hit Chiba Prefecture about 2+1⁄2 hours after the quake, causing heavy damage to cities such as Asahi. (Tohoku 2011) [1]

WRT comparison with hurricane waves, I assume they carry a lot less energy than tsunami's, because they are "superficial waves" - caused by the friction of the wind on the water - whereas a tsunami wave is caused by the movement of a huge mass of mater.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_T%C5%8Dhoku_earthquake_an...

People vastly underestimate the danger of a moving body of water in general, but especially when that water is where it isn't normally. Even a relatively tame storm surge picks up sewage, dangerous chemicals, debris, and confused wild animals.

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