OREGON HIT BY TSUNAMI WAVES CAUSED BY JAPAN EARTHQUATE; COASTAL
RESIDENTS EVACUATE Ian Saleh Washington Post Staff Oregon's
coastal residents cleared out ahead of the first waves of a
tsunami to hit the U.S. mainland, but the effects were minor in
Port Orford. Motel operator Rockne Berge (buhrg) says that from
130 feet up on a bluff above the beach, he saw a band of wet
sand 40 yard to 50 yards wide - an indication of a wave larger
than usual. City Administrator Mike Murphy says the waves surged
between about the levels for high and low tide. He says that so
far, there's been no damage, and the city's low-lying areas have
been evacuated. Most of the city is on higher ground. The
earthquake off Japan's coast sent waves across the Pacific
Ocean, killing hundreds. As Chico Harlan reported: The Japan
Meteorological Agency said the 8.9-magnitude earthquake was the
strongest in the country's history. Television footage showed
towering waves surging toward the northeastern shoreline,
pulling cars into the water and