Tsunamis triggered by Japan's devastating earthquake that prompted evacuations on the Pacific coast of North and South America caused flooding as far away as Chile on Saturday, but damage was limited.
The tsunami lost much of its energy as it moved thousands of miles (km) across the Pacific Ocean, although governments took no chances and ordered large-scale evacuations of coastal areas, ports and refineries.
Despite the power of Japan’s biggest-ever quake that killed at least 1,300 people, the tsunami waves were relatively benign as they rolled into the Americas, causing only isolated flooding, and fears of a catastrophe proved unfounded.
The tsunami swept past Chile’s remote Easter Island in the South Pacific, generating swells but no major waves. Wooden chalets on Chile’s northern coast were damaged and some small boats were swept away when the tsunamis intensified, local television footage showed.
The sea later flooded as far as 330 feet (100 meters) inland in Dichato and Talcahuano, some 310 miles (500 km) south of the capital Santiago and near the epicenter of the massive 8.8 magnitude quake that struck Chile in February 2010.
The government stopped residents from returning to their coastal homes until Saturday afternoon as a precaution.
But the damage appeared relatively mild and officials on Saturday reopened copper exporting ports that had been closed as a precautionary measure ahead of the tsunami and recalled large ships sent out to sea to avoid damage.
"The alert is now over. People can be confident the danger is over," said government spokeswoman Ena Von Baer, adding fishermen should remain cautious because of swells and currents.
Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands, a wildlife sanctuary and popular tourist spot, suffered some damage to infrastructure, and several harbors in California were hit.
Frank Boyle, president of Peru’s port authority, said the northern port of Paita and the southern ports of Ilo and Matarani were reopened.
Peru’s key central mining port of El Callao remained closed, as did the southern port of Pisco, where Reposl exports natural gas. Another mining terminal used by Shougang Hierro Peru was still out of action.
"The situation’s going to be evaluated and on the basis of that, we’ll gradually be reopening the ports," Boyle told Reuters.
