A tsunami warning this week was false. How likely is a giant wave to hit Florida, anyway?

When the weather in Florida continues getting wilder, hotter and seemingly more violent every year, it's understandable that you could see a tsunami warning on your phone and think, "Sure, why not."

But the tsunami alert that freaked out people across Atlantic and Gulf Coast states about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday was a routine monthly warning test that was sent out by some weather apps' mistake, according to the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center.

"There is NO TSUNAMI threat for the US Atlantic / East or Gulf Coast. We are aware of an erroneous tsunami alert on some apps," the agency posted on social media.

“What we do know is that there were some third-party apps that seemed to have passed this message on,” Dave Snider, tsunami warning coordinator with the center in Alaska, told the Sun-Sentinel. “We’re not sure the scope of that or why.”

The message was a routine test sent to communications partners, and stated as such, but in some versions that explanation wasn't easy to see. "This message is for test purposes only. This is a test to determine transmission times involved in the dissemination of tsunami information.” The National Weather Service is investigating why it was sent out as an actual warning.

Tsunamis are not ordinarily something Floridians worry much about. Those are a Pacific Ocean, Hawaii, Alaska, West Coast thing, right?

Mostly, but not completely. Here's what you need to know.

What is a tsunami?

A tsunami is a series of extremely long ocean waves created by a sudden change in the Earth's crust, usually an earthquake or underwater landslide, that can strike land with devastating force. Tsunamis radiate outward from the point of origin and travel hundreds of miles very quickly.

Tsunamis are some of the world's most powerful and destructive natural forces. Most tsunamis are small and only affect coasts near the source, but some can be massive, dangerous and deadly, slamming coastal areas with tall waves and a seemingly relentless rush of water far inland that destroys buildings, sweeps away debris, boats and people, and floods the area.

Tsunami is Japanese for "harbor waves."

What is the difference between a tsunami, a seismic sea wave and a tidal wave?

Tsunamis can be seismic sea waves if they are created by an earthquake, but tsunamis can be generated by non-seismic disturbances, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

A tidal wave is a regularly occurring shallow water wave caused by the gravitational effects on the ocean from the sun, moon and Earth. Tsunamis are often referred to as tidal waves, but they have nothing to do with tides.

Does Florida get tsunamis?

Practically every coastal area in the world is potentially at risk for a tsunami. But they tend to happen in areas prone to seismic activity. NOAA reported that of the 754 confirmed tsunami events between 1900 and 2015, about 78% happened in the Pacific Ocean around the geologically active string of volcanoes and earthquake zones known as the "Ring of Fire," 8% in the Atlantic and Caribbean, 6% in the Mediterranean Sea, 5% in the Indian Ocean, and 1% in other seas.

The Atlantic Coast of the U.S., including Florida, has a tsunami hazard level of "very low," according to NOAA. The East Coast and Gulf Coasts are not near subduction zones and earthquakes here are not as large or frequent as in other areas. But that doesn't mean it's impossible. Florida can still see tsunamis from underwater landslides and air-pressure disturbances (meterotsunamis).

In 2004, a team of scientists in London and California modeled what would happen if a massive landslide from a volcanic collapse happened off the coast of Africa and predicted a tsunami crossing the Atlantic in nine hours and slamming into Cape Canaveral with a wall of water 82 feet high. While scientists recommended keeping an eye on Cumbre Vieja, they said this was a worst-case scenario.

A 2016 study from the University of Miami suggested that South Florida could face a small but possible danger from tsunamis generated by landslides on the undersea slopes west of the Bahamas, which has happened before. Computer models showed that sufficient underwater collapses and landslides could send tsunami waves 15 feet high or more along the east coast of Florida and northern Cuba.

But don't head to high ground yet. Researchers said the state is still low-risk and such events are measured in the hundreds of thousands of years. The biggest danger from a Great Bahama Bank-induced tsunami would be from the short amount of warning we would get.

Has a tsunami ever hit Florida?

There have been eight tsunamis reported in Florida since the mid-1800s. An earthquake in Portugal caused a tsunami to hit Florida in 1755 but not much is known about it.

In 2004, waves from the massively destructive Indian Ocean tsunami were felt from Florida up the east coast of the U.S. and Canada, but the maximum heights for our area were between a half-foot and a little over a foot over normal tidal conditions.

Florida is more likely to see meteotsunamis.

What are meteotsunamis?

Unlike tsunamis that are triggered by seismic activity, meteotsunamis are driven by air-pressure disturbances often associated with fast-moving weather events, such as severe thunderstorms, squalls, and other storm fronts, according to NOAA. The storm generates a wave that moves toward the shore and is amplified by a shallow continental shelf and inlet, bay, or other coastal features. Most meteotsunamis, which make up about 20% of tsunamis, are small and mostly go unnoticed.

In June, Clearwater Beach was hit by a meteotsunami from the Gulf of Mexico, although people on the beach probably didn't notice it. Southwest Florida saw water levels jump up a foot in 2018 and waves over seven feet were recorded off the coast of Naples in 2016.

A 9-foot wave hit Daytona Beach in July 1992, injuring 75 people and damaging property. It was believed to have been a "long water wave" caused by a squall line.

Is Florida at risk of tsunamis?

Yes, in the sense that they are possible. But dangerous tsunamis are not very likely, due to the general lack of underwater geological activity in the Atlantic.

What do I do if a tsunami is coming?

Low-risk or not, Florida emergency response services still advise you to be ready. The Brevard County Emergency Management site says that in case of a tsunami:

• Evacuate the beaches to the west side of the dune line, approximately 300ft.

• Vertical evacuation to the highest floor (at least 15ft high) of a well-constructed building is also an option.

• Save yourself, not your possessions.

• Remember to help your neighbors, who may require special assistance.

Afterward, stay away from the beach and any debris in the water, and avoid marinas, inlets, coves, and other bodies of water connected to the ocean due to fast-moving underwater currents.

And be sure to watch for weather alerts and updates. Just make sure they're real ones.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Tsunami alert: Is Florida at risk from tsunamis?