By Mary Lyn Fonua

TONGA'S low-lying Ha'apai islands experienced some coastal flooding early this morning with police reporting water coming through sea front houses at Pangai, Lifuka, but causing no substantial damage.

Other coastal residents reported unusual sea activity with the sea level dropping, exposing the reef and coming back to normal at around 6:00 am and again at about 8:00 am.

Police Constable 'Unufe from the Pangai Police station said he was standing in the station close to the seafront when water came up close to the doorstep at around 5:15 am.

"But no damage has been reported in Pangai and we have not yet got reports from the other islands," he said.

There are dozens of small low-lying islands in the Ha'apai group and they were on alert for the tsunami wave crossing the Pacific Basin last night following Japan's 8.9 earthquake on March 11.

'Unufe estimated that the water came 10m inland at Pangai but the wave height would be not more than two feet. The water flooded the first row of houses closest to the seafront but went out again.

The community had been warned to expect a tsunami wave. "The police went around warning them to get ready," said 'Unufe.

Reef went dry

Lothar Slabon, a game fishing boat operator, staying at the Sandy Beach Resort on the island of Foa, in Ha'apai said he noticed some unusual dropping of the sea level exposing the reef twice this morning.

"We had the official warning of the tsunami and we had a look and didn't see a wave. But at about 6:00am the sea went down. It's the first time I have seen the reefs went dry in 17 years of living in Tonga," he said.

He observed the sea go down below the low tide level for about 10 minutes. "Then it came back to normal fast."

"It was extra low tide about another meter, but no wave," he said.

The same thing happened again two hours later at around 8:00 am. "It totally fell dry, the whole thing for about 10 minutes."

Lothar said that they were helping zodiacs (rubber dinghys) to come ashore from the German cruise ship "Europe" which is anchored offshore today.

Boris Stavenow, the resort owner said about 300 people were coming ashore this morning at the Sandy Beach Resort to enjoy a Beach Day.

"There is no wave, there is nothing wrong here, it is all normal," he said.