Craig Fugate, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said the relief agency was sending an incident management assistance team and a planning and response team team "to provide support and on the ground assessment" in conjunction with the US Coast Guard.

The deadly tsunami, triggered by a massive 8.0-magnitude earthquake, wiped out villages when it hit remote island groups in the Pacific Ocean.

Initial reports said at least 14 people had been killed on the American territory and at least another 14 on independent Samoa, which is part of the same island chain.

"It was an earthquake, which caused a tidal wave 15 feet (4.5 meters) in height," said Eni Faleomavaega, American Samoa's delegate to the US Congress.

"Some of the areas there are only a few feet above sea level, so you can imagine the devastation," Faleomavaega told AFP by telephone.

He said he had been in touch with local officials with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as well as FEMA, assessing the area's disaster relief needs.

"It caused severe damage to property, there are cars floating everywhere," Faleomavaega said, confirming that early reports of thousands left homeless and some 20 dead were "about right."

"We're hoping to take food and supplies and things, and they're making the necessary arrangements also to see what needs there are in Samoa, the independent state of Samoa," he said.

"This is a really sad time for the Samoan people," he said. "For those who are dead, we can only express our sympathies."

"I'm trying to catch the first flight out" to get home, but having little success, said Faleomavaega.

"So far, I'm just trying," he said.

Fugate said the agency had activated its National Response Coordination Center "in order to support American Samoa as they respond to the earthquake and the resulting tsunami."

In a statement, Fugate said FEMA has pre-positioned provisions in Hawaii and "is also preparing to send supplies as needed."

"We remain in contact with the leadership of American Samoa and our federal partners and will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that there are no unmet needs in the territory on in other potentially impacted regions," the statement said.

A spokesman for the Red Cross in Washington told AFP that the relief organization was on standby and trying to determine what help they could offer.

"We are working to determine what we have (but) we have not been asked for anything," said Jonathan Aiken. "At the moment we are looking at it as a local issue."

The US National Park Service, which has operations and staff in American Samoa, said its headquarters in Pago Pago, the capital of the main island of Tutuila, appeared to have been wiped out.

"Park staff, when they are able to make cell phone calls, are calling in to our offices," said spokeswoman Holly Bundock, relaying information from national park superintendent in Pago Pago Mike Reynolds.

"They said five tsunami waves have hit the park visitor center in Pago Pago. It would appear park offices and the visitor center there have been destroyed.

"Our greatest concern is for our staff. It would seem all are okay. One of the waves was about 30 feet high," she added.

The US Coast Guard said they had a marine safety detachment based in Pago Pago, but no boats or aircraft.

"We haven't been called on for any search and rescue response," said a spokesman, adding that the situation was being handled by FEMA.

The Hawaii-based US Pacific Command said it had not been asked for assistance at this time.

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