San Francisco/Santiago: Tsunamis triggered by Japan's devastating earthquake that prompted thousands to flee 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, and there was little impact when they made landfall on Chile's coast.
But 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.
"We call on people to stay on high ground and keep away from coastal areas," Interior Minister of Chile Rodrigo Hinzpeter said.
"There have been a series of flooding incidents along the coast,” Hinzpeter said.
Strong waves also lashed northern Chile, but the government had lifted a tsunami warning for Easter Island, Hinzpeter added.
Ecuador's Galapagos Islands, a wildlife sanctuary and popular tourist spot, suffered some damage to infrastructure, and several harbors in California were hit.
Peru, which evacuated thousands, was largely unaffected.
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