This post truly connects with me since I grew up in Washington state, and I have vivid memories of this event. On this date in 1980, Mt. St. Helen’s erupted. It was a shock to us (probably not as much to scientists), and I can remember this event as though it were yesterday. I was not even six years old yet, and I was living at Long Beach, Washington with my mom and brother. My parents were divorced at the time. My dad was at the Beach visiting us, and I can remember the layer of ash on his car. I can even remember my grandparents having the news on. It was a big deal. According to various sites I visited, the eruption column rose 80,000 feet, and it deposited ash in eleven states–wow! Fifty-seven people were killed, and it caused over a billion dollars worth of damage. I never visited Mt. St. Helen’s until years later. It is one of those volcanoes that could erupt again, but more of the concern seems to be with our lovely sleeping giant (that I can see by going out on our street in front of our home) Mt. Rainier.
For more information:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/mountsthelens
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_St._Helens
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_eruption_of_Mount_St._Helens
