They show the Pacific islands blanketed in a layer of volcanic ash, while in coastal areas the waves have torn down trees and ripped buildings apart.
Saturday's tsunami left at least three dead - including a British national - and crippled communications.
International phone links are said to have been restored but a severed undersea cable may take weeks to fix.
That means Tonga remains largely cut off from the outside world, with little known about the scale of destruction.