1980 was a great year. Post-It notes and the Sony Walkman were introduced, Reagan was elected President and Christina Aguilera, Nelly and Chelsea Clinton were born. Yes, t’was a truly glorious and defining year in human history.
At 8:32 Sunday morning, May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted. I was 7 years old at the time and remember watching it on TV well. Helen is back in the news again, and I wonder if I’m the only person who’s a little concerned that residents of Washington State seem to have have completely forgotten what happened 24 years ago.
- 57 people were killed as a result of the eruption. Of these, 21 bodies were never recovered from the blast zone.
- 7,000 big game animals, 12 million Chinook and Coho salmon, and millions of birds and small mammals died in the eruption.
- The massive ash cloud grew to 80,000 feet (18 kilometers) in 15 minutes and reached the east coast in 3 days. Although most of the ash fell within 300 miles of the mountain finer ash circled the earth in 15 days and may continue to stay in the atmosphere for many years.
Scientists have been watching the mountain closely since last week when increased lava flow and other seismic data led officials to evacuate the surrounding 5 mile area. Friday’s activity has been described as a “hiccup”, and five miles may seem excessive to some people. But I’d like to again draw your attention to the fact that the ash cloud, which would be responsible for the bulk of any fatalities, spread 18km in 15 minutes back in 1980. It takes me less time to clean my apartment. And a lot less time time to make love to my imaginary girlfriend who sometimes visits me from Niagara Falls.
This “hiccup” is also the most activity that’s been reported at the site since May, 1980.
Keep an eye on the Mount St. Helens Volcano-Cam and cross your fingers on behalf of these clueless cougars. And maybe see if we can get Nelly and Christina to headline the on-site Mount St. Helen’s benefit that’s due to kick off 14.5 seconds before the lava starts spraying.
