'Darker than midnight': Survivors recount the fury of Mt. St. Helens' eruption in 1980

RoseRed

RoseRed

American Beauty
PREMO Member
I remember driving to Montana from California in 1985 and still seeing the devastation.

SEATTLE -- Wednesday marks the 42-year anniversary of Mt. St. Helens' eruption in Washington. The blast on May 18, 1980, is the worst volcanic eruption in U.S. history, killing 57 people and spewing 520 million tons of ash across the country.

When the mountain blew, William Dilley was camping with neighbors some nine miles from Mount St. Helens. They thought they were safe, but the cloud of ash and debris kept approaching, and Dilley watched it get closer and closer as they sped away.

"There were people camping just on the other side of us, and unfortunately, they didn’t make it," Dilley told FOX 13 Seattle during an interview in 2016. "When it came over the second ridge, I turned away because I didn’t want to see it coming."
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www.foxweather.com

Mount St. Helens' eruption: Survivors recount the 'darker than midnight' fury in 1980

The Mount St. Helens' eruption in Washington on May 18, 1980 is the worst volcanic eruption in U.S. history, killing 57 people and spewing 520 million tons of ash across the U.S., causing complete darkness in Spokane.
www.foxweather.com www.foxweather.com
 
LightRoasted

LightRoasted

If I may ...
For your consideration ...

My first resurrection thread. :yahoo:


A composition of photos made into a video of Mt. St. Helens' eruption. The whole side of the mountain calved off. Never seen such a representation to appreciate the massive power of built up underground pressures. The Earth is amazing. We are so tiny and inconsequential.

 
Monello

Monello

Smarter than the average bear
PREMO Member
MSH.jpg


Flew over it in the late 1980s.
 
Gilligan

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
Wife was home in Olympia when it blew; they drove to another mountain close by that had an overlook high enough to see Mt. St. Helens in the distance. A few years ago, she and I made the trek along the current scenic road* and overlooks that were built to observe the mountain and aftermath.
*Spirit Lake Memorial Highway
 
SamSpade

SamSpade

Well-Known Member
PREMO Member
When visiting in-laws about 20 years ago, we drove down to tour it. It was haunting. As you drive in, they have markers on the road side to give you an idea of how long it's been since trees have been able to reappear. The guest center has models showing you just how much of the mountain blasted into the air - and we went into a theater where they gave a presentation, with the - haunting - last words of the David Johnston, a volcanologist on site who broadcast "Vancouver, Vancouver, this is it!" - and then was swiftly vaporized by the eruption.
 
SamSpade

SamSpade

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PREMO Member
stgislander said:
www.foxweather.com

Researchers find gophers responsible for recovery of Mount St. Helens ecosystem

Located in southern Washington state, Mount St. Helens is notorious for its eruption on May 18, 1980. The eruption of stratovolcano led to earthquakes and a massive landslide. University researchers evaluated how forestry practices and mammals contributed to the revegetation and ecological...
www.foxweather.com www.foxweather.com
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Wouldn't surprise me. They said the lake formed at the bottom after the eruption - now has life in it - including -

FISH. Amazing. Except I know from tons of stories of how fish end up all over the place - eggs excreted from large birds, e.g.

My son was once at camp and a bald eagle DROPPED a huge fish on their camp - which they took a pic of - cooked - and ate it.
 
P

phreddyp

Well-Known Member
SamSpade said:
Wouldn't surprise me. They said the lake formed at the bottom after the eruption - now has life in it - including -

FISH. Amazing. Except I know from tons of stories of how fish end up all over the place - eggs excreted from large birds, e.g.

My son was once at camp and a bald eagle DROPPED a huge fish on their camp - which they took a pic of - cooked - and ate it.
Click to expand...
We see that all summer where I live, never know when a fish will drop in our yards.
 
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