With a rapt world watching the drama unfold on live television, a tsunami raced across a quarter of the globe yesterday and set off fears of a repeat of the carnage that caught the world off guard in Asia in 2004.

The tsunami initially raised fears that the Pacific could fall victim to the type of killer waves that killed 230,000 people in the Indian Ocean the morning after Christmas in 2004. During that disaster, there was little to no warning and much confusion about the impending waves.

But the tsunami that followed yesterday's Chilean earthquake delivered nothing more than a glancing blow to the U.S. and most of the Pacific. Little damage was reported as nations evacuated their coastlines well in advance of the waves.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center lifted its warning for every country but Russia and Japan, though some countries in Asia and the Pacific—including the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand—were keeping their own watches in place as a precaution.

» Japan: The tsunami hit Japan's main islands today, but the initial waves washed ashore without causing damage. Japan's Meteorological Agency said the biggest wave—35 inches—was recorded in northern Japan. Another, measuring about 12 inches, was observed in Hokkaido, also to the north. There were no reports of damage.

» Tonga: Up to 50,000 people fled inland hours ahead of the tsunami. The National Disaster Office had reports of a wave up to 6.5 feet high hitting a small northern island early today. There were no initial indications of damage.

Nine people died in Tonga last September when the Samoa tsunami slammed the small northern island of Niuatoputapu, wiping out half of the main settlement.

» Samoa: Thousands of people remained in the hills above the coasts on the main island of Upolu this morning, but police said there were no reports of waves or sea surges hitting the South Pacific nation where 183 people died in a tsunami five months ago.

» The Philippines: Villagers living close to the eastern coast were advised to move to higher ground today. A wave of about 3.2 feet high could hit early in the afternoon.

» New Zealand: Officials reported a wave measured at 6.6 feet early today in the Chatham Islands. Several hundred people in the North Island coastal cities of Gisborne and Napier were evacuated but the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management downgraded the national warning to an advisory.

» Cook Islands: Police issued an all-clear this morning after the tsunami caused a minor tidal surge of a few centimeters.

» Australia: A tsunami of 1.6 feet was measured off Norfolk Island, about 1,000 miles northeast of Sydney.

There were no immediate reports of damage and no evacuations were ordered.

» California: Water surged 2.3 feet in Santa Monica and 2.9 feet in Santa Barbara. The tsunami hit with less force in other areas, including a 1.1-foot surge in San Diego, and as far north as La Push, Wash.

No injuries or significant property damage were reported and many surfers ignored advice to stay away from beaches.