The Gulf of Mexico has a natural barrier made up of Florida, Cuba and the Bahamas, which can prevent outside tsunamis from sweeping the area. There's only a "narrow passage" for a tsunami to hit the Gulf of Mexico, according to Juan Horillo, emeritus associate professor with Texas A&M.

One of this century’s most powerful earthquakes struck off the coast of Russia and generated tsunami warnings and advisories for a broad section of the Pacific as far south as New Zealand.