Tsunoproblem

New York (AP) – - The tsunami from a deadly earthquake in Chile hit Japan’s main islands and even reached the shores of Russia on Sunday, but the smaller-than-expected waves didn’t cause significant damage. Hawaii and other Pacific islands in their path were also spared.

In Japan, where hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated from shorelines, the biggest wave following the magnitude-8.8 quake off the coast of Chile hit the northern island of Hokkaido. It was four feet high. There were no immediate reports of damage, though some piers were briefly flooded. Japanese weather agency officials kept their alert up well into Sunday evening, saying further waves could be on their way.

As the waves crossed the Pacific, they dealt populated areas — including Hawaii — just glancing blows. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center lifted its warning for every country but Russia and Japan, though some countries in Asia and the Pacific were keeping their own watches in place as a precaution.