Cars are washed away by the tsunami that hit Japan in March. Photo: NHK TV
Alaskans are on the lookout for tonnes of debris from the Japanese tsunami expected to wash up on their shores.
While it's highly unlikely that larger items like cars and domestic appliances will cross the northern Pacific ocean, beachcombers can expect to find a treasure trove of smaller items.
Debris has been reported in Washington state and British Columbia, Canada — and Alaskans should be seeing it soon, the Anchorage Daily News reports.
The Alaska Panhandle has been hit hard by storms but the area around Craig on Prince of Wales Island could be the first place where debris from the March tsunami lands, Dave Gaudet of the Marine Conservation Alliance said.
Bad weather had prevented people in Craig from scouting around the sparsely inhabited island, he said.
Last week Canadian television showed photos of bottles and metal containers that had washed up on Tofino's shores.
A Russian ship in September reported encountering a large stretch of debris 3200 kilometres from Japan.
By some estimates, the area of the debris field is twice the size of Texas.
Experts warn that debris should be approached cautiously because the earthquake and tsunami damaged nuclear facilities and water contained in items that float across the Pacific Ocean may be radioactive.