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WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama assured earthquake-ravaged Nihon weekday that the United States "stands primed to help" and said the agent Emergency Management Agency at bag is primed to become to the assistance of island and another states struck by Pacific tsunamis.

Obama said in an primeval morning evidence that his brass would "continue to intimately guardian tsunamis around Nihon and the Pacific feat forward" and he directed FEMA to mobilize.

The maximal seism in Japan's history — rhythmic at a ratio of 8.9 — pummeled the orient shore of Nihon Friday, attended by a towering tsunami. At least 60 grouping are known to have perished.

FEMA honcho Craig Fugate said wave warnings and watches have been issued for the U.S. territories of Guam, the Northern archipelago Islands, and inshore areas in Hawaii, Alaska, California, Oregon and Washington.

Fugate urged grouping living in those areas to guardian their topical programme for manual from their land and topical officials, and egest if sequential to do so. And the Coast Guard said it was making preparations to provide support where necessary.

It said that Coast Guard quarrier and aircraft crews were orientating themselves to be primed to conduct salutation and analyse missions as soon as conditions allow.

Obama's honcho of body Bill Daley notified the chair most the seism in Nihon at 4 a.m. pedagogue time. Obama said the U.S. is primed to support the Asian grouping "in this instance of great trial."

"The friendship and alliance between our two nations is unshakeable," he said, "and only strengthens our resolve to defence with the grouping of Nihon as they overcome this tragedy."

Obama had primeval scheduled a White House programme word for late-morning weekday and was due to discuss the status in Nihon at that time.

"Michelle and I beam our deepest condolences to the grouping of Japan, specially those who have lost loved ones in the seism and tsunamis," Obama's evidence said.

The Pentagon said primeval that the U.S. Pacific Command reportable every dweller military personnel in Nihon had been accounted for. Press helper Geoff Morrell said there are no reports of injuries to U.S. personnel there or alteration to U.S. installations or ships in the area.

Morrell, who is motion with Defense Secretary Robert enterpriser in Brussels, said that enterpriser was briefed by Pacific Command officials weekday patch he was present a NATO meeting on the Afghanistan war.

The State Department issued a travel alert, strongly urging U.S. citizens to refrain non-essential travel to Japan.

"Tokyo airports are currently closed," it said. "Other airports in Nihon may be winking or have limited access. Public transportation, including trains and subways, are winking in the Yeddo area, and assist has been interrupted in many another areas."

"Strong aftershocks are likely for weeks," the division said. It urged U.S. citizens currently in Nihon to "contact kinsfolk and friends in the United States to support their well-being at the primeval opportunity."

Spokesman P.J. Crowley tweeted primeval weekday that ambassador John Roos "has touched our U.S. Embassy's bidding center to an alternate location as a precaution, presented the many aftershocks in Tokyo."

"We have been watching a hopeful wave running across the Middle East. Now we are sight a wave of a different category running across Japan," Crowley said.

At home, FEMA's Fugate said that "our immediate antecedency is the safety of the grouping and communities in the affected areas."

"FEMA is intimately monitoring the affects of the seism and ensuant wave that struck Japan," he said, "and finished our regional offices in the West Coast and the Pacific area, we are in near occurrence and coordination with land and topical officials and defence primed to support them in any artefact needed."

Vice President Joe Biden, making a joint appearance at a programme word in Chisinau, Moldova weekday with Prime Minister Vlad Filat, said "the thoughts and prayers of the dweller people" are with the Japanese, who he said had suffered finished a "mega earthquake."

"We, the United States, defence primed to do anything we can to help our Asian friends as they care with the consequence of this tragedy," Biden said.

___ Associated Press reporters Matthew Lee and Alicia author contributed to this story.

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