Japan Quake: Tsunami Intensity from NOAA

US man killed by tsunami waves Tsunami waves from Japan's huge earthquake have killed at least one person in the United States, officials said.

A 25-year-old man was confirmed dead in California's Del Norte County after being swept into the Pacific Ocean near the mouth of the Klamath River on Friday (local time), according to local emergency officials.

The man and two friends were taking photographs of the incoming tsunami waves.

Joey Young, a spokesman for the Del Norte County emergency operations centre, said it had not been determined whether the victim was a local resident, but he had been in the area about two weeks.

He said no other people had been reported missing or injured in the area.

The giant wall of water lost much of its energy as it roared thousands of kilometres across the Pacific Ocean before hitting the US west coast on Saturday morning.

Surges of 2.4 meters high crashed ashore on the coasts of California and Oregon up to 12 hours after the 8.9-magnitude quake triggered tsunami alerts in dozens of countries across the Pacific.

Thousands fled their homes along the California coast, but only two towns in northern California suffered any significant damage to boats and harbour areas.

A series of four tsunami waves hit the Hawaiian island of Oahu, but no injuries or property damage were reported.

Many residents in Tonga fled to higher ground ahead of the expected 5.00am arrival of the wave, however Radio Tonga journalists say the waters have remained calm.

In Papua New Guinea, authorities say there has been no sign of a tsunami, nor has Marshall Islands been affected.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre reports waves of between 20 to 70 centimetres were expected on islands such as Nauru, Kiribati's Tarawa, Fiji and Vanuatu.

The alert has since been lifted in most parts, including the Philippines, Australia and China.