Living in the Shadows of Active Volcanoes

Starting when I was five years old and going until I joined the military and moved

away, I lived with a picturesque view of Mt. Rainier. All I had to do was look to the southeast

on a clear day (which happened about four times a year in western Washington) and I could

see a beautiful, snowcapped, active volcano. While I never got to visit it, I did get to visit

some other volcanic sites such as Ape Cave and Crater Lake in Oregon, and also Mt. St.

Helens – though I didn’t get to explore that one, I just hit the tourist centers. In all actuality,

volcanoes were the only regional natural disaster we had to concern ourselves with, as we

didn’t get floods, tornados, hurricanes, tsunamis, or even frequent earthquakes (though I was

near the epicenter of the 6.9 quake back in 2001). Our proximity to Mt. St. Helens and Mt.

Rainier meant that we had to know what to do if either erupted. We were far enough away

that lava wouldn’t be a problem, but ash certainly could be. After seeing the effects of the

1980 Mt. St. Helens eruption, I could understand why my parents were prepared.

Mt. St. Helens is a “composite volcano (or stratovolcano), a term for steepsided, often

symmetrical cones constructed of alternating layers of lava flows, ash, and other volcanic

debris.Composite volcanoes tend to erupt explosively and pose considerable danger to

nearby life and property.” (Mt. St. Helens Info... 2012). The eruption of May 18

, 1980

killed 57 people, despite National Guard roadblocks, weather service hazard warnings, and

mandatory evacuations that began nearly two months before the main eruption. Ash was thick

enough to cause complete darkness in Spokane, nearly 300 miles away, with some ash falling

as far away as Minnesota (History.com 2009). The eruption carried the same explosive force

as a 24-megaton bomb – over 1,000 times the force of the Nagasaki nuclear bomb Fat

Man.

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This eruption blasted out hot air and ash at 650 MPH. An area of 230 square miles

showed clear damage, with no trees existing in the inner circle or about 6 miles, no trees

standing for miles after that, and other trees showing burn damage from the hot air (USGS

2015).