The first U.S. soil to be hit by the tsunami triggered by an 8.9 magnitude earthquake in Japan was in Alaska. The western Aleutian Islands were hit at 4 a.m. EST by a 5.1 foot wave. Shemya, Alaska was reporting no damage despite the sizeable wave.  John Madden, Alaska’s Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, says 20 warning sirens were sounded in 13 communities and evacuation plans worked perfectly.

Shemya is lightly populated with fewer than 100 residents, but it used to be home to a U.S. Air Force base. The Island’s topography helped. It’s a rocky shoreline which rises quickly in elevation. The tsunami’s strength diminished as it moved eastward along the Alaska coast. By the time it reached the commercial fishing town of Dutch Harbor, the wave was just 1.6 feet. Fishing vessels heeded warnings and any that were in harbor went out to sea where the waves were even smaller.

Washington State is under a tsunami watch with the highest wave expected at 10:15 est in the town of Moclips. Officials are anticipating a 3 foot wave. The small town is close to the Qwinalt Indian Reservation. Most in the low lying area evacuated for higher ground. At least two Washington school districts are either starting late or cancelling classes. A hotel owner in the resort town of Ocean Shores tells Fox News some guests did check out and traffic has been heavy on the peninsula throughout the early morning hours.

The highest waves are expected in southern Oregon. Officials in Curry County are anticipating waves up to 6 1/2 feet high. Police and fire have been going house to house to ask people to evacuate. Most of the 22,000 residents in the county live close to the ocean.