i'm susan hendricks. our top story today, the effects of chile's earthquake are felt on the other side of the world. waves spawned by the quake hit japan's coast today. kyung lah with our sister network, cnn, reports japan saw a tsunami more than three feet in height. there were no immediate reports of any damage. but it looks like the danger of tsunamis from the chile quake has passed. this morning the pacific tsunami warning center canceled warnings for all countries. >>> the earthquake also kicked up the surf in hawaii. but the waves weren't nearly as big as officials first feared. state authorities triggered tsunami sirens yesterday and urging people living along the coast to evacuate. the warning touched off a massive run on local grocery stores as people stocked up on everything from food, also water. but thankfully no giant waves hit the area. >> yeah, i think we've dodged a bullet. yes, i think so. in fact, it's almost -- it's almost the best sort of tsunami you could possibly have. >> hawaii gove

glad you're with us, i'm susan hendricks. chile's president has declared a state of ka tcatastrophe after 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit this morning. the death toll stands at 80 and is expected to rise. it was 212 miles southwest of chile's capital. it lasted between three and five minutes. there have been numerous aftershocks. this happened while most people were in bed. damage reports are still coming in. one witness heard shaking and screaming in his apartment building. >> i live in a really low floor in my building, but people from higher floors started to go to the terrace and screen, god stop. some were jumping -- all of my glasses were broken. >> to give you an idea how pow perful it was it was 1,000 times stronger than the recent earthquake that hit haiti. >> we are learning more almost by the minute on the massive earthquake. we'll update the story throughout the day. for right now we'll move onto the day's top stories. thousands of people in the northeast are sitting in the dark this morning because of the massive sn

susan hendricks has more in today's "health minute." >> reporter: connie kirby had always been a womanthe go. married, five children. >> been a busy lady. had a lot of responsibilities. >> but 15 years ago multiple sclerosis slowed her down. the chronic disease affects electrical signals that travel down nerve fibers. >> multiple sclerosis attacks the insulation of those nerve fibers and makes communication to and from the body less efficient. >> reporter: for the past six years connie has been part of trials of a new drug designed to help ms sufferers walk faster. it's called ampyra and the fda has approved it to help people with all forms of ms improve walking speed. >> if you look at a typical group of people with ms about 90% will report some difficulty with walking and that might mean slowness of walking, it might mean something like using a cane or a walker. >> but the drug won't work for everyone and it's expensive. a thousand dollars a month wholesale. it has not been tested on people who have lost their ability to walk. for connie ampyra has worked wonders. >> i'm able to move

here's one of the stories susan hendricks working on for the next hour. sad. the recession has left so many american families with bare refrigerators. you'll hear president obama's plan to help hungry children and their parents. >>> plus, a stranded grandmother says she got kicked out of a greyhound bus station. how greyhound is now responding to the whole thing. >>> and this. check it out. you're looking at copsycles. police officers stripped down to their shorts and they go tubes. why they are taking that chilling ride, that's coming up. >> all right. thank you. >>> if you've got, say, $325,000, you can try a new underwater plane. it is the latest luxury venture from billionaire richard branson. the passengers have to wear scuba equipment. they can dive 300 feet. a week stay costs $300,000. the underwater plane will run you an additional $25,000. >>> oscar no, ma'aminees are ou morning. matt damon for invicktus, woody harrelson, christopher plumber, stanley tucci, christopher waltz for "inglorious basterds." pe neppy cruz, ver ra farmiga, magg maggie. >

susan hendricks shows us why. >> reporter: going out to the slopes? don't forget your helmet. a new study published in the canadian medical association journal finds helmets can reduce the risk of head injuries by 35% in skiers and snowboarders. according to researchers, head injuries account for up to 19% of neck injuries, and up to 4% of all injuries reported by ski patrols and rescue teams worldwide. traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of death and serious injury in snowboarders and skiers. for example, you may remember actress natasha richardson died from a head injury while on the slopes last year. she was not wearing a helmet. investigators looked at 12 studies conducted in north america, europe and asia on helmet use and injuries. they found helmets to be helpful when used in recreational activities. study researchers noted between 2 and 5 out of every 10 head injuries could have been prevented if a helmet is worn. they're encouraging helmets in outdoor winter sports no matter what the age and ability of the athlete. >> a new study finds an abstinence-only sex e