At least 11 people died in Wednesday's 8.3-magnitude quake - the strongest in the world this year - that sent tsunami waves as far away as Japan.
The coastal town of Coquimbo, close to the epicentre, saw waves of 4.7m (15ft) hit the shore.
Hundreds of people spent Thursday night in temporary shelters, while tens of thousands are without electricity.
About one million people had to leave their homes after Chile sounded a tsunami alert when the quake struck, although most are reported to have returned.
Tsunami waves also hit the coast further north and south of the quake's epicentre, with waves half a metre higher than usual as far north as La Punta.
Gloria Navarro, who lives in the coastal town of La Serena, said people were "running in all directions".
"Everything is a mess," restaurant owner Melisa Pinones told Reuters from the city of Illapel. "It was a disaster, a total loss."
Across parts of central Chile, residents began clearing up after what was the country's sixth most powerful recorded earthquake.
Large parts of the sea front in the fishing village of Tongoy were destroyed, and more than 500 homes were badly damaged across the region, according to emergency response teams.
Emergency powers mean aid will reach Coquimbo quicker, and allow troops to be deployed on to the region's streets.
Visiting Coquimbo on Thursday, President Michelle Bachelet paid tribute to people's response, saying that the death toll, "while unfortunate, was not very high considering the strength of the earthquake".
