The dramatic moment a rare tsunami hit the coast of The Netherlands, catching beachgoers off guard, has been captured on camera by a terrified tourist watching from a balcony.
The seven foot tall wave hit the coastal resort of Zandvoort on Monday morning, sweeping away everything in its path, including, boats, beach chairs and parasols.
As the wave hit the beach, the man filming can be heard saying “a tsunami” over and over, as he watched in disbelief.
No one was hurt in the dramatic incident, when the wave crashed onto the beach, but there was some damage caused,
The tidal wave was caused by a phenomenon called a meteotsunami, which occurs when there are rapid changes in atmospheric pressure that cause a displacement in the body of water. The last time this rare phenomenon occurred in The Netherlands was 2006 and 2004.
Most tsunamis are caused by geological events, like with the Japan 2011 earthquake that led to a massive tidal wave that wiped out whole communities.
