SKAMANIA COUNTY, Wash. – On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted, marking the United States’ most deadly and destructive volcanic eruption to date.
Around 8:32 a.m., a magnitude 5.1 earthquake shook Mount St. Helens, triggering its eruption. The eruption caused the mountain’s conical top to collapse into a horseshoe-shaped crater, unleashing rivers of mud and rock down its slopes and emitting an enormous blast of heat and gas into the surrounding forest.
Ash clouds drifted for over 930 miles, reaching places like Pullman and as far as central Montana.
According to the United States Geological Survey devastating natural disaster claimed the lives of 57 people and stands as the most destructive volcanic eruption in US history. The eruption flattened trees and obliterated bridges, resulting in more than $1 billion in damages.
