The damage caused by a tsunami is closely related to the height to which the tsunami wave attains, particularly the run-up height, which is defined as the maximum vertical height reached by the water surface relative to normal sea level when the tsunami waves approach the shore. This is the run-up height that will determine how far the flood will travel inland and how destructive the damage will be.
Scientists consider several characteristics of a tsunami, including the energy, speed, wavelength, and run-up height of the waves. However, the run-up height of the waves is the most important one when considering the destructive potential of the tsunami when it reaches the shore.