THE tsunami created by the Japan quake hit the west coast of the US last night with at least five people being swept out to sea.
Destruction ... a boat sinks in Santa Cruz, California after waves caused by the tsunami hit the US coast.
Docks were ripped out of harbours in California, with reports of damage running into millions of dollars in Crescent City, Santa Cruz.
One man taking photos in Del Norte County, northern California, was missing last night after he was swept into the water. Two pals made it back to shore.
Chaos ... boats are shaken loose in Santa Cruz after tsunami hits harbour
On the coast of Oregon at least four others survived after being swept off a beach.
The mammoth tremor 80 miles off Japan's east coast sparked a tsunami alert around the entire Pacific rim as a 30ft wall of water raced across the vast ocean at 500mph - as fast as a jetliner.
It was still 10ft high by the time it hit Hawaii - 3,900 miles away. Water rushed up on roadways and into hotel lobbies on the Big Island and low-lying areas in Maui were flooded as waves crashed ashore.
Evacuation plans were put into action there - and also on the west coast which was buffeted more than 5,000 miles away.
Scientists warned that the first tsunami waves are not always the strongest, and officials said people in Hawaii and along the west coast should remain vigilant.
Elsewhere in the Pacific a 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck the nation of Tonga last night. No tsunami alert was immediately posted.
©thesun.co.uk
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