US still faces tsunami risk, White House says, Posted by Meosha Eaton

(Updates with full Daley comment)

WASHINGTON, March 11 (Reuters) - The U.S. West Coast and Hawaii still face the possibility of risk from a quake-driven tsunami that passed Hawaii without major impact, White House chief of staff Bill Daley said on Friday.

"The tsunami wave has gone through Hawaii and there does not seem to be any enormous impact, which is extremely encouraging," Daley said at a meeting of the President's Export Council.

The tsunami originated off the coast of Japan from an earthquake that reached a magnitude of 8.9. "There's always the possibility that something may happen after, so people are watching it now," Daley said.

"There's some anticipation of what's going to happen on the West Coast. But I think the enormous fears that were there hours ago, for some of us hours ago, has diminished greatly, which is quite a relief for all of us," he said.

(Reporting by Doug Palmer; editing by Will Dunham)

US appears to have escaped major tsunami damage-Daley, Posted by Meosha Eaton

WASHINGTON, March 11 (Reuters) - The United States appears to be out of major danger from a tsunami caused by an earthquake near Japan, White House chief of staff Bill Daley said on Friday.

"The tsunami wave has gone through Hawaii and there does not seem to be any enormous impact, which is extremely encouraging," Daley said at a meeting of the President's Export Council.

There is still some risk to the U.S. West Coast, "but I think the enormous fears that that were there hours ago, for some of us hours ago, has diminished greatly, which is quite a relief for all of us," Daley said.

(Reporting by Doug Palmer; editing by Doina Chiacu)