Tsunami takes aim at Hawaii

PAPEETE, Tahiti (AP) — A tsunami spawned by a massive earthquake in Japan raced across the Pacific Ocean early Friday, pushing tourists to the upper levels of high-rise hotels in Hawaii and threatening to swamp low-lying areas of the U.S. western coast.

The frst waves could reach the Hawaiian islands at about 8 a.m. EST.

Sirens woke residents in the middle of the night in Hawaii, where the governor ordered the evacuation of coastal areas and warned residents to take the threat seriously. People waited in long lines stocking up on gas, bottled water, canned food and generators, and officials told residents to stock up on water and fill their cars with gas.

The first waves to hit Hawaii could reach 6 feet high and were expected to hit about 3 a.m. local time.

The tsunami slammed the eastern coast of Japan, sweeping away boats, cars, homes and people as widespread fires burned out of control. It's traveling at 500 mph - as fast as a jetliner - and likely won't change speed until it hits a large area of land, said Kanoah Koyanagi, a geophysicist for the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.