California tsunami warnings and watches were posted along with similar warnings for Oregon and Washington state on Friday morning following the 8.9-magnitude earthquake near Japan, weather officials said.
A tsunami warning was issued for central and northern California and Oregon, while Southern California was under a tsunami watch, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The National Weather Service said people living in the tsunami warning areas near beaches or in low-lying regions "should move immediately inland to higher ground and away from all harbors and inlets, including those sheltered directly from the sea."
"Those feeling the earth shake, seeing unusual wave action, or the water level rising or receding may have only a few minutes before the tsunami arrival and should move immediately," the NWS statement said. "Homes and small buildings are not designed to withstand tsunami impacts."
Officials said they didn't expect the waves to cause damage, but urged people to avoid beach areas as a precaution, the Times said.
Cindi Preller of the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center said the tsunami could cause unusually high tides but not major inundations, KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, reported.
The tsunami alerts include Japan, Russia, many Asian countries and Pacific islands, including Hawaii, as well as Central and South American countries, weather officials said.
