BOISE – The 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile shot potentially dangerous ripples across the Pacific.
More than 30 countries declared tsunami warnings or advisories.
Most of those warnings have expired, but as of Saturday night, advisories along the West Coast remained in effect.
Hawaii was issued a tsunami warning, one that forced an evacuation to high ground.
With the people KTVB talked to, most of the panic came from family here calling family on the island.
For those on the island, the day was spent on high ground waiting for waves that weren't that big.
"First thing this morning some friends gave me a call and said, ‘hey, we're under tsunami warning.’ They gave me a call from Hawaii," said Michael Mohica.
Mohica owns Ono Hawaiian Cafe in Boise.
He grew up on the island of Oahu and many in his family are still there, including his father.
"Tsunamis are just a way of life there,” Mohica said. “This one is a pretty serious one. We haven't had a serious one in a long time, but I do remember growing up as a kid those sirens would go off every so often.”
Mohica said when the sirens go off, everyone looks to fill their pantries.
"When I talked to him he just got done at the grocery store, so he was just stocking up on supplies, and just securing our house," Mohica said of his father.
McCall Firefighter Freddie Vanmiddendorp is on the same island with his wife for their vacation.
His mom called them Saturday morning to warn them. They quickly went to high ground at Pali Lookout.
"We are watching the water kind of drain off of the reef and expose the sand bars and we are expecting the tsunami to hit landfall anytime if it hasn't already," Vanmiddendorp said.
The first wave of the tsunami hit around noon Hawaiian time, but it didn't do any damage.
"We've been here with throngs of locals and tourists alike sitting here waiting to get the word that we can go back down and play in the water again," said Vanmiddendorp.
Five hours after the initial wave, officials lifted the tsunami warning.
"The news agencies are telling people to be cautious and stay high and the police agencies and the emergency services are kind of being nonchalant about it and saying it's probably okay to go back down, but we're just taking the safe route just in case," Vanmiddendorp said.
Once officials lifted the warning, people weren't allowed back home or to their hotels right away.
Roads were clogged with abandoned cars and all of that took a while to sort out so people could get on their way.
