Waves generated by the Japan earthquake are brushing the U.S. West Coast, bringing out surfers and spectators.

The owner of a motel on Oregon's southern coast says people are gathering on the bluffs above the beach to watch the waves. He says it looks "like a mall parking lot at a Christmas sale."

Low-lying areas have been evacuated and beaches closed.

But unlike the 23-foot-high wall of water that struck Japan, the waves hitting the Washington and Oregon coast so far have been similar to those on a typical stormy day.

Officials say they could get bigger, though, especially along the California coast, where waves up to 7 feet are possible.

In Santa Cruz, Calif., the waves have been rough enough to break loose a couple of boats and a dock -- and entice surfers. As one off-duty trooper put it: "The tides are right, the swell is good, the weather is good, the tsunami is there. We're going out."

Tsunami warnings were issued for the entire coast from Alaska and Canada to Mexico.

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HONOLULU- The water that's been coming ashore in Hawaii from the Japanese earthquake has been as high as 11 feet on the west side of the Big Island, reaching the lobby of a hotel.

Water has washed up on roadways on the Big Island, and flooding is reported on Maui.

Tsunami waves have been swamping Hawaii's beaches in the aftermath of the quake and tsunami that devastated Japan.

Scientists have warned that the first tsumnami waves aren't always the strongest.

Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie says the tsunami warning remains in effect and that there's "significant adverse activity" on Maui and the Big Island.

Honolulu's airport is open, but officials say seven or eight jets bound for Hawaii have turned around, including some originating from Japan.
Honolulu's Department of Emergency Management has created refuge areas at community centers and schools.

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LOS ANGELES- Scientists say the massive earthquake that struck off the coast of Japan ranks as the fifth largest jolt in the world since 1900.

The magnitude-8.9 "megathrust" quake is similar to what happened during the 2004 Sumatra quake and the one last year in Chile. In all these cases, one tectonic plate is shoved beneath another.

Such earthquakes are responsible for the most powerful shifts in the Earth's crust.

More than 80 aftershocks greater than magnitude-5 have been felt since the Japanese quake - a number that scientists say is normal for a quake this size.

U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Lucy Jones said a friend who was in Tokyo for a tsunami planning meeting noted the shaking after the initial shock lasted for about five minutes.

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