Hawaii ordered evacuations of coastal areas after today's earthquake in Japan as a tsunami warning was extended to the entire Pacific basin, except for the US mainland and Canada.
The main airports on at least three of the major islands - Maui, Kauai and the Big Island of Hawaii - were shut down as a precaution, and the US Navy ordered all warships in Pearl Harbor to remain in port to support rescue missions as needed.
President Barack Obama, a native of Hawaii, was notified of the massive Japanese quake earlier today and instructed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be prepared to help US states and territories, the White House said.
"We will continue to closely monitor tsunamis around Japan and the Pacific going forward, and we are asking all our citizens in the affected region to listen to their state and local officials," Mr Obama said in a statement.
Authorities also ordered evacuations from low-lying areas on the US island territory of Guam in the western Pacific, where residents there were urged to move at least 50ft above sea level and 100ft inland. However, an earlier tsunami alert for the territory has now been lifted.
Guam's homeland security agency earlier advised tourists in high-rise hotels to take shelter on the sixth floor and above. "A lot of people who aren't from Guam are panicking," said a Homeland Security spokeswoman. "We've never been hit by a major tsunami."
The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the warning extended from Mexico down the Pacific coast of South America.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies warned the tsunami was higher than some Pacific islands in its path.
The quake off Japan's northeast coast was the biggest in 140 years and triggered tsunami waves of up to 30ft that swept across farmland, carrying away homes, crops, vehicles and triggering fires.
On Easter Island, a Chilean territory in the South Pacific, authorities planned to move residents to higher ground before a possible tsunami was expected to reach the volcanic isle.
Chilean president Sebastian Pinera, whose country was hit by a devastating 8.8 magnitude quake and ensuing tsunamis that killed more than 500 people a year ago, called on Chileans to remain alert, but to continue with their daily routines.
The tsunami warning issued late yesterday for Hawaii prompted civil defence officials to order all Hawaiian coastal areas evacuated by 2am local time, about an hour before the first wave was expected to hit the islands at 1300 GMT.
The evacuation zone included the famous Waikiki Beach, the main hotel and tourist hub in Honolulu on the island of Oahu.
Civil defence sirens blared statewide starting shortly before 10pm local time, and police with bullhorns urged people to move to higher ground. Authorities also walked the beaches to awaken homeless people.
Long queues formed for petrol, and people rushed to stores to stock up on emergency supplies and water. Downtown Honolulu and Waikiki were packed with fleeing motorists.
As Hawaiians braced for a tsunami, government geologists reported that a 4.6 magnitude earthquake was unleashed at about 11pm by the restive Kilauea Volcano, which has been spewing lava and triggering small seismic tremors since Saturday.
Ocean waves up to 6ft above sea level were detected by deep-ocean gauges near Wake island, Midway and Guam, said a spokesman for the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
Reuters