Terrible Eruption 30+ years ago on May 18

Mount St. Helens located in Skamania County Washington in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is 50 miles northwest o Portland Oregon and a little under 100 miles south of Settle, Washington.

Mt. St. Helens takes an English name from the British diplomat Lord St. Helens, a friend of explorer George Vancouver who surveyed the area in 18th century. Mt. St. Helen is located in the Cascade Range and part of Cascade Volcanic Arc. The area has over 160 active volcanoes. The volcano was well known for the ash explosions and pyro flows .

before eruption

On this date in 1980 the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event in the United States at that time occurred. There were over 50 people killed, 250 homes destroyed, 47 bridges an miles of railways and highway destroyed. Mt. St Helens also experienced an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale caused an eruption that reduced the elevation of the mountain between 8 to 10 thousand feet. A mile wide horseshoe crater is still present.