Minute by Minute: The Eruption of Mount St. Helens

[@wendellburkhart8297]

Finally a channel that doesn't show a ad every 2 minutes . Thank you for these documentaries .

[@deenibeeniable]

Sounds like you need a KZbin Ad Blocker.

[@deenibeeniable]

@@TheActionStack yeah I think I'll start paying for stuff even though I can get it for free. Hey wanna be my financial advisor ?? You seem so good at it.

[@HokkaidoSan]

If you don't want ads then you should start paying your favorite KZbinrs $1000+ dollars so they can keep producing the content you like. I hate ads to but I get why it's needed. It's better than paying for cable or some streaming sites and you still get ads. Get an adblocker or something but ads help creators and you so you don't have to pay to watch these videos

[@moosemusicofficial]

@@TheActionStack Lmao. No I absolutely do not, enjoy wasting your money.

[@soulbot119]

I don't get why people complain about ads when things like adblock exist. it's not like you have to be an expert computer hacker to use these products, it's a simple browser extension that any idiot could figure out

[@karenharris722]

I feel so bad for the loss of David Johnston. He was actually 'subbing' for someone else. He saved a lot of lives because of his diligence!

[@katherinecooper6159]

I remember hearing of his death. He was a man to remember.

[@karenharris722]

@@katherinecooper6159 Yes, a truly dedicated young man, Katherine!

[@betterthanyesterday3912]

He faked his death, and is a conspiracy

[@RW4X4X3006]

My dad always spoke fondly of him. They worked together USGS. He knew the risk and tasked straight on. Someone had to be on the front line.

[@karenharris722]

@@RW4X4X3006 Bless his heart! There are true heroes in this world!

[@old-manparker6153]

1996 I was on the Big Island of Hawaii with a Hawaiian friend climbing down into a "steam vent". As I followed him he told me how totally safe this was. He does it all the time - he sits down in the cave below. It's a natural steam room. Very relaxing. I suddenly thought of Mount St. Helens and the unpredictability of a volcano. It would probably be nothing for an active volcano making heated steam to suddenly make SUPER heated steam. The hike of a thousand degrees or so might be nothing to a volcano that's been continually erupting since the 80's. So, I pardoned my self and carefully climbed back out.

[@eej902]

There might also be dangerous gases, like sulphuric gas. One guy died doing that in a hot spring- he built a small wall around the spring to have a face sauna effect while soaking.

[@terrylay1758]

I was one of the first helicopters on the scene that day and this docu brought back many memories of that mission. I was a pilot for a well known Aviation company from McMinnville, OR and will never forget the devastation I witnessed. One of my missions was to fly geologists into and around the crater in between the two major eruptions to visually measure/estimate the size of the daily growth of the gaps (fissures) in the lava dome forming in the crater. This gave them an estimate of when the next eruption, if any, would occur. It was a memorable experience!

[@danajohnson6273]

Wow, a part of history!

[@truckgp7078]

Sure you were

[@danajohnson6273]

@@truckgp7078 not really something to be jealous of.

[@scy1038]

@@truckgp7078 someone's jealous 😂 Nice horse, cowboy!

[@thepcal9654]

They say Yellowstone is ready to go next. I’m not sure if it’s the MT or the WY side.

[@mchapman132]

Mt. St.Helens was signalling trouble for weeks. I can’t understand why anyone, especially those with very young children, would go camping anywhere near that mountain. Those who were working there had no choice, but some did.

[@tjlightningbolt]

Mama Gump always said, "Stupid is as stupid does"!

[@mottthehoople693]

Plenty of dumb people about..

[@CelibateCetologist]

They thought scientists were making a big deal out of nothing. And some people are attracted to danger. It’s all about the thrill and taboo of it all.

[@mchapman132]

@@CelibateCetologist - True, but you don’t bring babies into the area. IMHO, that’s not thrill seeking, that’s just plain dumb.

[@F_L_A_Bird]

Some ppl are not afraid of death.

[@the_catsmeow]

This is so riveting, I watched it twice. Once by myself, and then I had to make my husband watch it too. We were born in 83 & 84, so we weren't in existence yet when this happened. I've known, peripherally, about the eruption, but I never got this level of detail about it. Absolutely terrifying. No disrespect to the folks who went through this, and especially not to the ones who lost their lives--I understand that as time went on, it became more and more difficult to convince people of the impending danger. But I was very struck by Robert Rogers' flippant attitude. Maybe he just has a different kind of coping mechanism, but it felt very disrespectful to the gravity of the situation. How lovely for him that he, essentially, effed around and found out, and lived to tell the tale, while many others weren't so lucky. I found his take on things to be a bit tasteless. A tiny bit of humility wouldn't hurt him. I also wonder what happened to the "we pay our taxes!" people who signed waivers to get back on their properties. Did they later have to be rescued? It's hard not to notice some of the parallels with current events, yeah? Makes you realize some things really never change. Anyways, thank you for sharing this informative piece. I'll be carrying it with me long after viewing.

[@gopro25]

I think a big part of why Robert Rogers might be interpreted as flippant has to do with the work of the editors. This is obviously part of his life that he has exciting memories about. He was not privy to the creative vision the piece would take. He was interviewed about his experience, years after the fact. He was certainly excited to be interviewed about this incredible experience he had, and the interviewers clearly didn't inform him of the tone taken in the rest of the work.

[@antoinebrg6299]

What current events ?

[@lucidhurricane]

I remember seeing it on the news 43 years ago tonight

[@TeddyBaron]

I was born in January 1981, so my mom was a month or two along with me. She remembers heading to church in Vancouver that morning and seeing it!!

[@Fiona2254]

@@gopro25 regardless of being exited about telling his tale he would have tempered it if he had more empathy, remembering about those who weren’t as lucky as himself.

[@ElizabethMayo-sf4wg]

I stumbled across this video on KZbin and I am so grateful. This documentary was so well done; I appreciate the people who made it. Thank you.

[@lynntucker4196]

I was camping im BC when MSHs blew! Even that far, there was just SO MUCH ASH! i always wished i had saved some!

[@pattyaubry127]

I was a teacher and had a jar of ash from MSH. Where is it?

[@karenharris722]

@@lynntucker4196 I was in Spokane at the time and still have my jar of it. Still smells like sulphur too!

[@andrewdiaz3957]

I lost my brother that day...not a day goes by i dont think of him! He saved 6 people from imminent death and gave the ultimate sacrifice and im so very proud yet heartbroken to this day its bitter sweet...rip my big brother

[@16Arson]

His memory will live forever; his voice will echo among the trees.

[@tamimmuftah7250]

Hope You The Best

[@JoanneVasquez-xc8on]

I'm very sorry for your loss😢RIP Big brother

[@314simplebtich]

You are blessed to have known him for the time God loaned him to you. ❤

[@elizabethbrown8833]

🌎💕❤️‍🩹🙏🏻 sorry for your loss. 🙏🏻

[@akampfer]

I remember after the eruption, a group of people decided to sue the state. A judge threw the whole suit out saying you were warned to stay out, several times. You don’t get to sue for that.

[@teijaflink2226]

Some people are so entitled that they probably think they state should have stopped the vulcano.

[@Lucariocypher2006]

There karens

[@micnorton9487]

​@@teijaflink2226.. they're just bozos trying to cash in on a tragedy...

[@johnwrobleski7822]

Sue god!

[@davidhallett8783]

The last sensible judgement in u s legal history. Then it s CRAZYTIME

[@seraffimospang9239]

I miss that old school A&E.! How times have changed.

[@octavius8562]

It's all nostalgia, there are far better documentaries made by others nowadays

[@politecat4236]

, 80s, 90s and early 00s had the best documentaries. Now it's all quick fire editing made for short attention spans. They also don't give a lot of background information so it's all empty surface knowledge. And they have too many storytelling talking heads speculating instead of telling the facts.

[@politecat4236]

​@octavius8562 nah bro

[@fubarpie]

​@@politecat4236 that's if you only watch TV documentaries. There are tons of excellent indie documentaries on KZbin.

[@peppercat8718]

First Responders and all who helped are heroes for sure. Thank you for your unselfishness and risking your own lives to help others.

[@debbylou5729]

You’re a lot nicer than I am. Everyone had enough warning and directives to leave with plenty of time. Those people should be ashamed that the put lives at risk to save any of them. This wasn’t a surprise. WEEKS earlier evacuations were ordered

[@bobbygetsbanned6049]

@@debbylou5729 Exactly! They knew what was happening yet chose to bring the freakin family camping, planting trees, getting close to take pictures... Pure stupidity, no first responders should have risked their lives to save these idiots.

[@mawmawvee]

@@bobbygetsbanned6049 It's what they do, God bless them all. (The first responders, that is...)

[@wadewilson8011]

​@@debbylou5729 you tell 'em Debby!

[@tommyl.dayandtherunaways820]

@@bobbygetsbanned6049 There is always that subset of people who are convinced that they're right and the government is wrong, and by god, if they have to die to prove their point, they're damn well gonna do it. Cause, uh...freedom.

[@karencross3815]

My family and I were able to climb Mt. St. Helens last summer. I watched this documentary many times prior to our hike. Being 17 when the eruption happened, I was intetested for 43 years before I actually stood on top myself. Unbelievable to see how that area is still affected. Being there has only kept my fascination and appreciation alive. The force of nature and the incredible response of those involved is inspiring.

[@karenharris722]

Intetested??

[@pacnwguy9056]

@@karenharris722 Typo? Most of us make them.

[@vonn2221]

How it looked like now?

[@maple_awesome610]

My dad's family had been staying in Yakima during the eruption and called home (Spokane) to warn relatives once it occured. The neighbors were confused as to why my great uncle was outside covering the cars with tarps. They soon got their answer when ash began falling from the sky. There was so much of it despite the distance and it ended up getting into a lot of car engines, ruining them, but since my uncle had a warning, he was able to prepare and save his cars. I still have some ash jars that my grandma had scooped up out of the street from it.

[@beardedbox80]

Grandma's new how catastrophic it was. I got ashes too but from st helens in oregon

[@beardedbox80]

From my grandma

[@peggyreely8339]

In nw mt WE DID THE SAME. We were kids and its was a different time We played in the ash until we were called for dinner. Different times lol

[@williamwingo4740]

I was in Memphis, Tennessee, and a few days after the eruption we had a thin layer of ash on cars and windows.

[@OregonCrow]

nope

[@itsmenestea2974]

The yellow shirt guy seems proud for not listening to the warning.. kinda irritating to listen to.

[@janetpattison8474]

Exactly. Annoying.

[@charlottependerstaph6683]

I’m glad I’m not the only one who was annoyed by Robert Rogers.

[@cjbcoleman]

He’s a little more than kinda irritating.

[@peggybarton232]

Yea. I thought the guy in yellow shirt was arrogant and he thought he had done a great thing... But that most likely his personality ... happy that he survived.. but he was irritating. Bless his soul

[@shalevedna]

He comes as stupid, not a hero would not want to be with him in a war zone or any dangerous place

[@rosemaryalles6043]

When A&E actually made good stuff. Incredible documentary.

[@gg79139]

A&E is junk now

[@rosemaryalles6043]

@@gg79139 Sadly, yes.

[@we5xz-1902]

They have to accommodate the short attention spans of today.

[@5trezip23]

This is a much more informative program than you see on A&E these days.

[@stevetobias9097]

You don’t like 19 Kids & Counting? 😂

[@frankiesayspanic]

@@stevetobias9097i thought that was tlc?

[@timmurphy1215]

Thanks boomer.

[@Pamela-fx6cj]

Just showed this video to my teenagers. So interesting. They had both learned about in school but were so surprised at the sheer scope of the event. Thank you for posting.

[@ryderhard]

Im 36.. born 6 years after this event. I never knew it was this deadly.. 57 people wow

[@robertfitzsimmons9428]

I'm 100 miles from St Helen's... I watched the ash plume from the local park

[@ghostshirt1984]

Born and raised in Seattle in 1979 and learning about Mount St. Helen's started my fascination with volcanos through my school years to now

[@Glostahdude]

I was 6 when this happened and I remember seeing it on the news as a kid for a few nights. As I got older I learned more about that disaster and the stories of survival and heroism. Thank you for sharing this!

[@user-wi9hv2pb2q]

Same here! I remember the sky afterward. Ash in the sky several states away.

[@YusakuJon3]

It's rare to find some of these old programs from when the cable channels had higher quality programming. This is a nice spotlight on the people who survived being on the site of one of the most well-documented natural disasters in American history. Amidst all the tragedy, there were still happy endings.

[@thejconstantine3081]

I'm in my late twenties and just now watching this. This is why history is so important.

[@blakeh6250]

I was 23 at the time and remember well.

[@jimdinco735]

I was in the navy and stationed at Nas Whidbey island in the state of Washington

[@aaronlarsen7447]

It's one of the few times people had ample warning, even though many ignored it. Scientists were knowledgeable enough to save lives.

[@desertbreeze69]

I was in Beaver Oregon. A little community about 14 miles south of Tillamook. We heard this loud boom and our mobile home shook. Ash started falling silently like big flakes of gray snow and covering everything. At first no one knew if the ash was toxic or not so we stayed in doors. I’ll never forget that sound as Mt. Saint Helens blew her top.

[@guysmith5504]

Beaverton or beaver?

[@GeoCrockerPot]

I came across a video here on KZbin of an audio recording of the boom captured straight from Lincoln City, OR! Been there many times as well as Tillamook, Astoria, Seaside, and Cannon Beach. I lived in the Portland and Vancouver area from 1995 when I was born all the way until 2019 just a few months before COVID, and it is such a beautiful part of the country! Even climbed St. Helens in 2012!

[@karenharris722]

I never 'heard' anything in Spokane, but at 1 p.m. the sky was dark, and you could see the ash up in the clouds. We were at an airshow on Fairchild AFB, and they told us to leave. A three-hour traffic jam ensued. It took use three days to get enough air filters to be able to leave the area and try to go back to Seattle. We went north up to Penticton, BC as I-90 was a mess. They got a little ash up there too!

[@SwingingPplikeHelicopter]

Big ole hairy beaver

[@jamesyates5191]

I knew David Johnston very well since I was a geology student at the U of W from 71-75 and Dave was a field geology instructor working on his masters at the time. He was selfless and extremely brave since his major was volcanology. My family drove by Mt. Saint Helens on I5 the day before and the bulge of the north side of the mountain made it look pregnant. I commented to my wife that the mountain didn’t have long to go before another eruption.

[@deborahbevard4057]

Sorry for the loss of your friend and colleague.

[@fletch4813]

For all the people who died, the people doing their job earn the utmost respect. Seemed like a good guy. I was in 5th grade but remember it well.

[@johnquinn8591]

I was in 4th grade and our teacher stopped class when it happened and had us pray for those people there.

[@scy1038]

@@johnquinn8591 yikes, good thing teachers aren't allowed to so that anymore. 😂

[@johnquinn8591]

@@scy1038 yeah.... crazy world

[@vapatsfan6174]

It was hard to watch how callous Robert Rogers about the whole situation. I can't imagine what everyone else went through.

[@danielle3064]

he's hilarious

[@karenharris722]

He's a doofus!!

[@jimbracknell5648]

he was pissing me off..better people than him died that day.

[@jamesroberts2115]

Guy could get on your nerves pdq. I know the type.

[@toddgrogg8005]

I fully agree, he acts like he is a actor _ talking about the show. I have no respect for him.

[@pringlized]

I was 7 years old with my grandparents. We were on our way to Vancouver in their Winnebago when Helens blew. We had just left Astoria and crossed the Columbia River. The ash plume was insane. My grandfather said something like "ok summer vacation over". He turned right around and we went straight back to California.

[@peppercat8718]

Your grandfather was a smart cookie :)

[@loisdungey3528]

I was 22 years old, living in NZ. This is the one major thing I remember from 1980.

[@kathythompson9931]

Amazing to get a glimpse of something not everyone gets to see in real time and so smart to turn around immediately! Just amazing!

[@tpw9099]

Lol I Like grandpa he sounds kind of funny!

[@betsymarin7932]

This comment gave me a good laugh. Thank you for that.😂

[@Stranger_Than_Fiction299]

To this day when you drive certain portions of Oregon highway you can still see the huge piles of ash on the roadside now grown over with grass. The amount of debris and dirt that was spewed and the energy it took to send it out for miles and miles is mind boggling.

[@kathleensingleton6314]

Planes couldnt fly for several days maybe more because of all the ash n smoke in the sky over several states

[@karenharris722]

I was traveling from Spokane to Seattle in 1982 and got into an ash storm. They diverted us off the freeway at Moses Lake, and we were there for several hours. The ash ruined the valves in my brother's car. A pretty scary experience!

[@mikehammerschlag]

Oh, yeah I almost was killed in it- I had my backpack packed to go take pics + movies of it from RI, which sold for $100K, sight unseen, planned to be on Spirit Lake, but decided a week before it blew that maybe nothing would happen + bailed; in '86 I moved to Seattle + the next year explored + climbed Mt Rainier, then Mt St Helens, which still had 2 feet of ash in the ravines. Going up was tortuous, slid back 40% on every step, but coming down was one of great thrills of my Life, flying in leaps 5-10 ft at a pop, like ballet or skiing on snow, with the heavier consolidated ash absorbing every impact. I still was terrified I'd hit an exposed rock and shatter my ankle like a rubber ball in liquid nitrogen, but as long as you stayed in the center of any ravine, it was OK. I'd done this many times on descents (Grand Teton, Gunnison Black Canyon) and never have seen another person do it, rock-running on boulder fields (last time flying from top of Mt Wash. to Lake of the Clouds hut), if it ever were an Olympic sport, might have got a medal. You had to plan next jump by halfway to current landing, and land every time within 3/4 inch... perfectly. Any failure, slip, or fall and you were going to break something and be stuck there. Think I did the 1 vert mile, 3-4 mile descent in a half-hour!

[@annep.1905]

@@karenharris722 yeah. Volcanic ash is essentially incredibly tiny shards of glass. It destroys anything it gets into.

[@karenharris722]

@@annep.1905 When I was in Spokane following the eruption we finally had to go to the store after a few days for groceries. My chest hurt for hours after that! The mountain kept 'burping' ash for quite a while afterwards. I have a mayonnaise jar full of ash and it still smells like sulphur.

[@FreeTheOne1996]

Such a wonderful show for such a big tragedy.. thank you to everyone who made it possible to recognize the lives of the lost. And congratulations to the living.

[@davidirving5470]

I had just gotten to my unit at Ft. Lewis. Quite the experience. My first encounter with mountains. The power and devastation made it something I have never forgotten.

[@CIorox_BIeach]

That's the coolest introduction to mountains ever.

[@GlennTheSadMarinersFan]

Dad was stationed on Mcchord at the time. we watched it from the top of our house. I was 9 and my sister turned 11 that day.

[@karenharris722]

I'm hoping it'll be the last encounter in my lifetime. Once is enough for me! I'm just hoping Mt. Rainier doesn't go - I'd probably be 'toast' for sure where I live.

[@mymnm8625]

Living in Longview it was a day that's unforgettable! We watched as pieces of homes, belly up fish and timber filled the Cowlitz river from side by side. A few days later the ash cloud came down mixed with rain, transformer blowing one after the other. A once in a lifetime experience .

[@mikelmcknight72]

I lived there at the time as well. I remember seeing a guy walk across the Cowlitz on top of the debris. Fortunately, he made it across.

[@michaelmullin3744]

This is one of the best documentaries i've ever seen About mount saint helens

[@community1949]

The only good that came from this eruption is that scientists found out that the damage they were finding from ancient eruptions didn't take decades but just minutes to change an entire landscape. It changed their entire understanding of what a volcano can do.

[@mikenelson9368]

Yep I remember how much. It was more than anybody ever thought turn down all the marijuana crops in Washington... peace out medical

[@bigstraz]

Amazing shots and heroic work by the rescue teams. RIP to the people that lost their lives that day.

[@jadezee6316]

yea..especially the ones who were so stupid that they killed themselves by not taking the event seriously

[@bigstraz]

@@jadezee6316 easy to say looking back. Sure that’s true for some of them, but others like the geologists didn’t expect the sideways eruption.

[@FlashoftheBlades]

8:28 Local: “I’m not afraid!” Yoda (whose big-screen debut would be just four days later): “Oh, you will be. You will be!”

[@Ghostshadows306]

Good one

[@joem1102]

Read recent updates. 300 earthquakes recently, evidence the magma chamber refilling, just saying, eyes open.

[@hollyw9566]

If she was there when the volcano hit, I wouldn't be sad. "I pay taxes. . . I want to see my property!!" Go on.

[@varkcoldguru9368]

this documentary was released 21 years after the event ... and im watching it 21 years after the documentary

[@ivelissediaz9583]

So am I. Today is 10 - 30 - 22.

[@LadyPsylocke25]

Watching in 2022 too! I visited Oregon and Mt. St. Helens from the Johnston Ridge Observatory in 2006 during a family vacation. What an epic event.. Hauntingly beautiful.

[@samsepiol05590]

happy birthday

[@jbone4119]

Okay

[@samsepiol05590]

@@jbone4119 Okay

[@bettyboyne8531]

12 yrs after eruption I camped in this area many times. Despite the devastation caused it is still one of the most awesome areas for hiking & camping.

[@wadewilson8011]

See any Bigfeet?

[@bettyboyne8531]

@@wadewilson8011 Just mine.

[@teglaprbambaluftlaurvafhen5449]

No thanks Very desolate

[@jayesimond9301]

It was truly a miracle that these helicopters’ engines didn’t choke while looking for & picking up survivors. My family had to evacuate our home due to an uncontrolled raging fire. The ash had been flowing like snow for 3 days by that time, had 5 mins to gather kids & pets, throw everyone in the van. Husband hopped on his bike, but called me after 15 mbs, his bike’s engine choked w/ash, drivers weren’t allowed to pull over or stop. We were bumper/bumper.. Hubby had to run carrying heavy duffle bag with food & essentials. He caught up, barely able to breathe due to ash inhalation. Lucky that eruption didn’t claim more victims. RIP

[@SaraRankins.]

Was your home okay?

[@jayesimond9301]

@@SaraRankins. Thx for asking. Yes. As a vet nurse, had a key to the animal hospital & surgeon allowed me to drop off all our pets, so they had shelter, food etc. All surrounding hotels were booked. We spend a week sleeping in the van but at least we had access to hospital bathroom & fresh water at night. Tho the roads were closed off to our neighborhood, cops patrolled the area making sure no one broke into ppl’s homes. We were lucky & grateful.

[@karenharris722]

What an incredible experience! You really went through a lot!!

[@davidlipke6530]

We lived in southern California , Long Beach area when I was 13 and remember this on the news. About a week after, ashes from Mt St. Helens eruption covered everything and fell from the sky for a few days until it rained. I remember it being eerie and wondering how much devastation was caused for ashes to travel that far.

[@ghostshirt1984]

Just a baby in Seattle when this happened! Now a fascination with volcanoes I have now

[@mistysantos7571]

I lived in Fremont, California at the time of Mt. St. Helen's eruption and we had at least an inch of ash everywhere.

[@williamorich7531]

We got ashe here in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

[@BackyardBeeKeepingNuevo]

I also lived in Long Beach and was 13 at the time. I remember studying the eruption in science class at John Marshall Jr. High.

[@sandrab2884]

I lived in Cowiche when this happened, but I was from Long Beach! We went home to Long Beach the summer of 1980 and my mother had me go door to door selling ash in my grandmother's neighborhood on Mira Mar, lol!!! As an adult, I wonder if people believed it was authentic. It was.

[@debrazawlocki3975]

The eruption on 5/18/80 was about a week before my high school graduation. In the Mid-West, we didn't grasp the magnitude of the eruption until all the film and pics were released. Several friends traveled to Mt. St. Helen's in the summer of '81 to assist with clean-up. They brought back a baggie of ash which weighed 6 lbs. That's what those poor souls were inhaling.

[@clarenceghammjr1326]

Same, I heard about it and loaded up my two babies and off to Washington from ohio, the scale is just unimaginable, damage farther than the eye can see

[@Lucariocypher2006]

Rip

[@karenharris722]

Yeah, just being outside for a little while made my chest hurt for hours. Really incredible stuff!

[@deanwebb1362]

I was just a young boy at home in the UK. My whole family watched with bated breath. Hoping they'd find More people alive. It was such a horrific thing to watch. I hear that people bear the Scars mentally and physically for the rest of their lives. My heart goes out to everybody, including the ones that were lost.😢❤

[@lucyaster5398]

I wasn't born then, but living in the Portland area my whole life and being able to see Mt. St. Helens on a clear day means I've known about the eruption my whole life. My mom was about two or three at the time, and she told me once she remembers playing in the fallen ash in her backyard like it was snow.

[@ghostshirt1984]

I was a baby in Seattle when this happened and being told about the events that grew into a fascination with Mount St. Helens and all volcanoes on earth.

[@JeffTheHokie]

My Vancouver grandfather built his house with a picture window that gave a perfect view of Mount Saint Helens. After the eruption the mountain was below the treeline.

[@JMD7379]

Thank you for posting this. Great shows like this get lost now.

[@CouveTJ]

RIP David A. Johnston. A scientist who literarely gave his life for his work.

[@danaphillips3434]

I was 5 years old and lived in Yakima when this happened. I remember it very well. We knew something was going to happen as the air felt heavy and all the birds were dead silent that morning when we left for church. It happened while we were in church and had to drive home in pitch black at noon. Such a strange and scary time. We had to remove 40 wheelbarrow loads of ash off our roof.

[@ghostshirt1984]

I was a baby in Seattle when it happened

[@kathydavis5829]

I was 3 and also in Yakima. I went to barge Lincoln elementary before moving to Cincinnati ohio

[@sandrab2884]

I was 9 and lived in Cowiche! I also remember it well. I think about it every year on May 18.

[@clamcrewcarclub6017]

The birds weren’t silent, they were long gone 😂

[@karenharris722]

People were getting ash off their roofs in Spokane, but then it started clogging up the storm drains. No one really knew what to do with it!

[@RickyPisano]

I was stationed at Ft Lewis in Tacoma. I'll never forget May 18th, 1980. An incredible day. Just unbelievable power.

[@pennyanddennisdegener7463]

I lived 18 air miles northeast from Mt. Saint Helens at the time of the eruption. Thankfully we had a couple of mountain ridges between us and the mountain. Small pieces of pumice started raining down on us then ash and charred pieces of wood. We were at the Cispus Environmental Center. It was dark with ash until late afternoon. The communities of Glenoma, Randle , and Packwood are the ones who experienced the ash fall first. After the eruption you had to get permission from the Forest Service to visit us and you had to be out by 5pm. I taught school in Packwood Washington at the time. They closed the school for the students but the teachers still had to attend. Interesting and unusual times and very sad because of the 57 people lost. The people who went in to rescue people are certainly heroes.

[@joesmoe71]

Well Mike Moore wanted to give his daughter the most memorable camping trip he could... well he definitely succeeded! Glad he and his family made it, RIP to those who didn't.

[@leemullican2060]

I was 16 years old when this happened and remember having ash on our cars a few days after the eruption. We live in New Jersey so this gives you an idea how incredible the power of this eruption was.

[@hensonlaura]

Calling bullshit, old bean. Announcer said ash got "as far east as Minnesota & as far south as Oklahoma. I was in Missouri, a thousand miles closer to the eruption than you, & we had no ash. Edit: was reported that "noticeable ash" fell in 11 states, but that "pollution detection systems" discerned unseen traces of ash, as far away as NY state. Not piling up on cars. If thar were the case, the entire state of WA would've been knee deep in the stuff! You can see Mt. St. Helen's ash-maps online.

[@TheWorldSpinsSlowly]

HOW DOES ASH GO THAT FAR😭😭😭😐

[@meghanrae1888]

@@TheWorldSpinsSlowly Jet stream. The fires in Oregon caused cars in NYC to have ash on them. My cousin woke up to it one morning in 2019 I believe.

[@elainekilgore1352]

WOW!!!

[@sonyavincent7450]

I was 16 as well. I'm in nz, this was huge news everywhere.

[@VanScott69]

We lived in Yakima at the time of St. Helen's eruption. I was 10 at the time, and staying the weekend with my best friend David. When the ash cloud reached us, it looked at first like someone had split the sky in two. One side, bright blue, the other black as night. I was stuck at my friends house for more than a week, the ash was so thick on the roads.

[@karenharris722]

Yeah, all of Eastern, WA got hit very hard. It was like a 'grey hell' over there for sure! I was very glad to see rain in the mountains when we were finally able to leave Spokane.

[@dougfriendly7676]

Where were we when it blew? I was in my Seattle business, a "mom and pop" record store in the north end of the city. Our narrow back door to the parking lot had a perfect view to the mountain, one I hadn't even known existed until it blew. I watched in amazement as the eruption continued for hours. Knowing that there were people in harm's way, it's a day I will never forget. Hearing their stories brings it all back. Not a pleasant memory.

[@ghostshirt1984]

I was a baby in Seattle when it happened

[@pattiday431]

The words and phrases people use in their comments here, remind me of 9/11 and the JFK assassination, not comparing the events, but the fact that we experience a moment in time that imprints itself so indelibly in our minds that in speaking of it we are carried back bodily to that time and place to relive it.

[@funkyflights]

I was in Woodinville and heard the eruption.... I could see the big cloud over Mt Rainier going WAY up into the sky..... You could see the lighting in the plum even 150 miles away .... It also erupted many times after and we could see the plumes... Nothing obviously was as big as the May 18th one.... This was a great documentary!! Thanks!

[@amydutcher981]

It's not much news to offer, but in Glendale, a suburb of Los Angeles County, California, I remember we had a couple inches of ash on our cars, lawns, rooftops, etc. for at least 2 or more weeks, post eruptions. My first sighting of it, I asked my Mom, as she was hosing off her vehicle, ' What's causing all this ' ? She told me, ' That's the volcanic ash being carried by wind, travelling down from Mt. St. Helens. We' need say prayers for those that were right in the thick of it ' . I tried to picture an image. Your footage now gave me that glimpse.

[@garyschumacher6531]

l was 18 years old, working on an oil rig just North of of St. Helens. We didn't feel that blast but it wasn't long before the skies darkened and we knew something had happened - something huge. lt was amazing, it was historical and l'm glad l was that close.

[@karenharris722]

It was light 'midnight' in Spokane at 1 p.m. Amazing to look up at the clouds and see all that dirt inside!

[@poodle_soup211]

I was living in Medford, Oregon when this happened. Small amounts of ash landed on my car and house roof. Nothing compared to the survivers of the blast. I will remember this for life b/c my first instinct was to protect my 3 small children from air particles in the ash we did have.

[@johnnydoe4677]

Now there is more danger in medford from the meth addicts!!!! Lol...but true

[@thenightporter]

If you see this, perhaps yku can update your comment to let people know how far Medford is from Mt. St. Helens; not everyone will take the time to google it. Alexa said its 269 miles but few will see this comment. I am about that far from the Canadian wildfires and we have had air quality warnings. The smoke is thick.

[@I.AM.JUPITER]

My mother passed in 1979, I was 12 years old. I really thought it was the end of the world. And then I saw the eruption amount Saint Helens and I was blown away. I have been following step-by-step what has happened to that mountain ever since. I have even been to the observatory, Mount Saint Helens reminds me of my mothers death

[@gsmith5140]

Wow. Never ceases to amaze me no matter how many documentaries I see on Mt St Helens.

[@mitchelljohnleslie1696]

R.I.P. Dan Miller Passed Away In October Of 2021 From Cancer

[@peterjohn8625]

" I'm not afraid. " Famous last words.

[@user-wi9hv2pb2q]

"I'm not smart enough to comprehend the danger."

[@1398go]

I miss these presentations, they were so exciting to be glued to the tv wondering what will happen next!

[@5trezip23]

I know. Nowadays it's like they care more about the entertainment value of programing but truth is it's more entertaining when it's more informative.

[@fergusonto-2032]

This video is awesome, I remember here in Virginia the air getting hazy after the eruption but watching this helps me to realize just how devastating it was , Thankyou for sharing.

[@shoeshooey5464]

I lived (and still live) about an hour south of Ritzville WA. I was riding my dirtbike when it blew. We thought it was a storm coming in. Later that day I got super sick and was throwing up all that night. Of course my folks thought it was because of ash of course it wasn’t but who knew back then.

[@joywright4493]

In VIRGINIA?????

[@fergusonto-2032]

@@joywright4493 yes in Virginia , I can’t remember how long it took it to get here but it certainly did , I may be wrong but didn’t it ( the ash) eventually circle the globe ? Let me know if you find out please.

[@barryanderson863]

First off thoughts for all these who didn't make it out of the eruption. I live in New Zealand, in the mid section of the north island. I liked this production, even if with the sad thoughts of lost lives. It was an intense eruption for sure yet in world terms of eruptions I know there have been much bigger eruptions, even here in New Zealand. The size of our country I know when there is finally another huge eruption here it is likely to cause many loss of lives if there is little warning or no where to go to get far enough away. It's a good reminder that the power of nature can be so amazing at how in an instant our world goes from beauty to destructon to the birth of new beauty again. The cycle continues. To have the mindset that all who live around or near a volcanic or fault line zone that nothing will happen is taking thing's for granted. Everyday we all wake to another beautiful day and have the one's we like and love we should always be so very grateful

[@clarenceghammjr1326]

Well said my friend

[@carolynseggie2411]

I've a strong interest in volcanoes and always feel heartbroken when watching docs /reading about what I consider to be one of the worst if not the worst volcano related disasters in your country. Tangiwai ( hope I've spelt it right) For those unaware it wasn't an actual eruption of the mountain ( not going to attempt to spell its name !) but the collapse of the crater lake which took down a railway bridge and the train couldn't stop on time. 151 people died. And it was Christmas Eve. 1953. 70 years ago this Christmas

[@barryanderson863]

@carolynseggie2411 my father was in Wellington and was due to take this very train you talk about. I can't remember exactly now though I think a spot on an earlier train came up and he took that one instead of the one that crashed

[@ellastrelling9157]

This documentary has helped a colossal amount with my homework and school work. Thank you very much! I just have to point out how mind blowing this documentary actually is.

[@stoneharry3648]

I’m doing a project on this

[@maryannkom299]

I was 12 and living in southwest Washington state in Vancouver, WA. We watched it all day, from the backyard.

[@doc215]

I remember watching this on TV when I was just a sophomore in high school. I had just got my first car in hopes of having it running by the time I was 16 a year or so later. I remember walking past my car and seeing a fairly thick film of what looked like very small flakes of Ash. I figured it was from a local forest fire a few miles away days earlier but the Ash film was gray and the fire was all but out. It turned out that this was Ash from the Mt St Helens volcano. I grew up in Granada Hills, CA. more then one thousand miles away from Mount St. Helens.

[@chadsevedra925]

My uncle died when it went off , he was a photographer. My mothers youngest brother. I was only 8 yrs old but I remember him fondly. God bless all of God's children that died that day and their family members that were affected by this erudition

[@trevorhall8549]

May God bless you. I was almost 5 years old … we lived in Yakima. That is my first memory. I still have a jar of ash from it. We were in church and the preacher told us to go home. By the time drove home it was raining ash. Horrible.

[@isaiahmoses6570]

Im really sorry u uncle died im praying for you god

[@incumbentvinyl9291]

Sorry for your loss, but go easy on the fairy tales.

[@incumbentvinyl9291]

@RhiannonRedd What happened to your son?

[@charleshoang566]

Did he get the Darwin award posthumously? LoL.

[@dennisreed9560]

Almost 1 year before St Helens blew I had circled May 18 and wrote Mount St Helens. I had climbed the Mountain several times, it was my favorite of many I had climbed. I was planning a year ahead as I was going to make the climb with my brother in law who lived in Alaska. May was a great time to climb the mountain. The mountain still had snow making it easier to climb than later when you were climbing on loose rock. I liked to summit about 8 am as I had done in the past. Night climb gave you frozen snow and easier to climb. In our favor was the mountain was red zoned prior to the date it blew so the climb was off. I was in Florence Oregon running in a 10k when it blew. We got enough ash to say, What is that?

[@jadezee6316]

who in their right mind thinks climbing a mountain is a good thing to do

[@riverroadracing]

@@jadezee6316 mountain climbers.

[@serpentines6356]

@@riverroadracing 🤣🤪🤣🤪🤣🤪

[@TherealRTZ973]

Ya honestly they shouldn't have even done the red zone. If you're so stupid you drive up to a volcano that's going off you kind of deserve it. Pretending these people are victims takes away from actual victims.

[@JeffTheHokie]

My dad's family was from Vancouver. Our favorite fishing location from my childhood was washed out by a mudslide from the eruption and completely destroyed.

[@janetkizer5956]

We heard the eruption here in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. I'll never forget that. We'd been following the stories and were expecting it, but it was still a shock. A huge BOOM, and I gasped and looked at Mom and we said together 'That was the volcano', and sure enough it was.

[@ChadSimpson-ft7yz]

That's amazing you felt it that far away.

[@minoozolala]

I was sleeping on a friend's couch in the West End of Vancouver. A huge boom woke me up. I thought a ship had blown up in the Vancouver harbour.

[@MyRofaith]

No, I don't hate Robert Rogers, but it's just that he is so disrespectful towards what happened and those that died. He thinks the whole thing is funny when it was a bona fide disaster... I'm just shocked as he acts like a little boy that never grew up... there's just something wrong how he acted at the time of this video...

[@maryclaremayo6157]

Absolutely agree. He's a jerk.

[@SuzD0n]

I'm pretty sure he, and the ham radio guy, are the inspiration behind Woody Harrelson's character in the movie 2012.

[@Jonb173]

I hate him and he should be jailed.

[@AmperahGaming]

@@SuzD0n that’s what I was thinking when I first saw Robert in this documentary

[@just_kos99]

Glad to know I'm not the only one who can't stand him. When he first appeared this time around (for me watching it), I got up and left while he acted like a 7th grade boy. What a jerk.

[@YorkVid]

I'm so happy this old cable program has been viewed by so many people worldwide over the years, and thankful to all who shared their memories. After years of reading your replies, I've got some thoughts: 1) **A lot of you** hate or cannot stand Robert Rogers. Given how he presents himself in the video, it's understandable. Robert is, fairly, not everyone's cup of tea in the personality department. In fact, I think its funny that it's enough for some to comment the only thing they took away from this video was that Robert Rogers was annoying. Appreciate the patronage, but that's it? However, I've seen a few comments over the years saying that Robert should've died so that another person could've lived, or something along those lines. Full stop, wishing death on Robert Rodgers is pretty vile. Go ahead and don't like him, you've got reason to do so, but he did nothing to put anyone else's life in danger except his own back in 1980. Just a really inexcusable reaction to a person sharing their experience on a decades-old television show. 2) Those who criticize people like Mike Moore for taking his family near St. Helens when it was deemed "dangerous" should understand why they felt safe to be there in the first place. While scientists believed a landslide was likely due to the mountain's growing instability, the risk of a lateral blast stretching miles beyond its flanks was just one of several possible scenarios detailed before May 18. Given the information available, there was no way anyone could've known the eruption would've played out just as it did. Mike and Lu Moore, like Bruce Nelson and Sue Ruff, were 12 miles north of the volcano behind ridgelines some 5-6,000 feet high -- outside restricted zones. The Blue and Red restricted zones around the mountain, improperly set up by the state due to the influence of private landowners like Weyerhaeuser on WA Gov. Dixy Lee Ray, led many to believe they were in no direct danger. In fact, only four people were in the red restricted zone: Harry Truman, Bob Kaseweter, Beverly Wetherald, and David Johnston. All four had permission to be there. The rest of those that died were outside restricted areas. Sure, there's a level of personal responsibility that goes into being near danger, but that's the hindsight of knowing what volcanoes are capable of now in a post-St. Helens world. And yes, there is an element of our culture today that would make enforcement of restricted zones in 202x far more challenging than in 1980. Still, I stand by the fact that many of those who died on May 18, 1980, were innocent victims. If you want to disagree with me, that's your opinion. Yet, I cannot believe the largest landslide in recorded history and a lateral blast equal to many times the magnitude of an atomic bomb explosion was something even the most seasoned USGS geologists could've anticipated. One of many terrible lessons learned from the eruption that led to better public safety decision-making around active volcanoes. 3) Everyone, you've got to chill reading too much into Roald Reitan and Venus Dergan's relationship. Let me put it to you like this: Imagine how much your life would change if you went through a traumatic experience like what they shared on May 18. That shared moment would bond you together in some way for the rest of your lives, regardless of the paths you took. The excellent book Echoes of Fury, which profiles survivors and eyewitnesses who lived through the eruption, explains what happened to Roald and Venus after 1980. They went their separate ways, got back together years later, and realized they were better as friends. It's not the happy ending you want, but it's how life goes. There was no "friend-zoning" or anything of the sort. They were 20-year-olds with their whole lives, thankfully, ahead of them. -- Okay, I've edited this comment god knows how many times, but thanks again, and check out my other St. Helens videos. Cheers!

[@kamnapavon4638]

Was Before My Time, though with Recent Activity in Idaho and Wyoming, this is a Reminder of the Forces that lie beneath the Mountains in the West.

[@marilynwong3899]

People have their reasons to be where they CHOSE. Personal choices should not be criticized when those individuals had NO CLUE OF THE DANGERS THAT HAPPENED AFTER BEING WHERE THEY WERE. I lived 3 houses from a sandy beach. I was four years old. Did my parents CONSIDER the possibility of a TSUNAMI. HAPPENING? NO! BUT AS I NOTICED EVERYONE RUNNING TOWARD THE MAIN ROAD...I RAN NOT KNOWING THEY WERE RUNNING IN HORRIFYING FEAR. I WAS THE LAST ONE BEHIND. I JUST HAPPENED TO LOOK BACK AND I SAW A GIANT WAVE COMING ON THE OCEAN. I KNEW WHAT A WAVE IS BUT NOT ONE SO SO HIGH AND BIG. EVERYONE RUNNING REACHED A 7 FOOT HIGH FENCE AND CLIMBED IT SO I DID THE SAME. MY FATHER WAS NOT HOME. HE WAS AT WORK AND HAD HIS CAR. HE WORKED IN PEARL HARBOR. OUR HOME WAS JUST A QUARTER MILE FROM WHERE THE U.S NAVY SHIPS ENTERED TO DOCK IN PEARL HARBOR. FROM MY AGE FOUR TILL I WAS IN MY 30's I HAD NIGHTMARES IF A GIANT WAVE COMING TOWARD ME AS I WAS ON A ROAD TRYING TO GET AWAY. ITS STRANGE THAT I NEVER REMEMBERED THAT UNTIL WHILE VISITING MY OLDEST SISTER, SLEEPING THERE THAT I HAD THE SAME NIGHTMARE AGAIN. THE NEXT MORNING AS WE SAT HAVING BREAKFAST...I TOLD MY SISTER ABOUT MY NIGHTMARE OF A GIANT WAVE COMING TOWARD ME! IT WAS MY OLDEST SISTER WHO TOLD ME ABOUT THE REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE WE DID HAVE, RUNNING FOR OUR LIVES TO THE MAIN ROAD BECAUSE THE TIDAL WAVE WAS COMING. FROM WHAT MY SISTER SAID, CONFIRMING THAT REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE WHICH I NEVER REMEMBERED...IT WAS MY SISTERS FACTUAL TRUTH THAT MY NIGHTMARES WAS FROM.A REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE WE ALL HAD...MY SISTER'S WORDS FROM THEN TOTALLY ENDED MY NIGHTMARES...FROM THAT DAY I NEVER AGAIN HAD A NIGHTMARE OF A GIANT WAVE LOOMING RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME ABOUT TO ENGULF AND DROWN MY BODY. FROM THAT DAY I RESOLVED THAT I WILL >>"NEVER LIVE IN A HOUSE NEXT TO ANY OCEAN SHORELINE"

[@moosemusicofficial]

@@marilynwong3899 Your caps lock is broken.

[@BeckGho]

I don’t think people realize the magnitude of the situation and doubt of it ever erupting. I wasn’t alive but I do think the video gives a good understanding of the timeline. Also love the stories everyone shared below

[@nickynicky513]

Great comment was worth the edits!

[@mscharliesanders]

Being from the other side of the Pacific, and only 1yo when this happened, I didn't really know about this event until I read Devolution by Max Brooks (Mel Brooks' son, also wrote World War Z) about the fictional eruption of Mt Rainier, and I had to look up whether Mt Rainier was a real place. I recognised the name Mt St. Helen's on the map on that Wiki page, and read about the eruption in 1980, and then I ended up watching this video, and only now does that novel (Devolution) makes real sense, I had no idea the USA had volcanoes outside of Hawaii, let alone having had such a huge volcanic event (and in my lifetime)!! Thanks for uploading this, it gives a good sense of how it all unfolded (and why panic set in for the characters in the novel… but no more spoilers from me!)

[@solemniti3410]

You hear that a mountain is on the verge of erupting and there have been numerous earthquakes on said mountain, then you decide "Yeah, I'm gonna take my 3 month old camping right on that mountain" or take m sweetheart camping there. Hopefully they acquired some commonsense from these experiences.

[@peterjones3226]

But it was exciting.

[@romascott6567]

But it was exciting???? You have a sick sense of what is exciting, and no concept of the trauma involved. 😲😲😲

[@jhardworkingcanadiancitize9186]

@@romascott6567 don’t get so excited about what happens , it was an event that is just is. What we’re dealing with these days in politics and their evil push we know mt st Helen is a matchstick to what the Bible tells us is coming due to mans seemingly constant evil intentions.

[@karenharris722]

It was a really stupid and careless thing to do! Governor Ray tried to warn people, and implemented the Red Zone, but there were those that just wouldn't listen and a lot paid with their lives! These people were just damn lucky to have survived.

[@Vasilia4]

Natural selection

[@avakock3220]

I was in Jackson Hole, Wyoming with a classmate having fun rafting down the Snake River. The next morning we went to my car to leave, only to find it completely covered with 1/4” of ash! Baffled, we then found out Mt. St. Helens had erupted! Wow!!

[@eithnemelee2997]

My mother was a university student living just south of Vancouver, Canada when this happened. She said she felt a huge blast that rocked the whole house, then her roommate came rushing in and yelled for her to look outside. A few minutes later a helicopter that was forced to divert by the ash plume made an emergency landing right in their front yard! By midday ash was falling like snow to a depth of about six inches. To this day she says it’s the most insane thing she’s ever witnessed.

[@ChadSimpson-ft7yz]

You could see it from Vancouver?

[@johnpalmer3848]

@@ChadSimpson-ft7yz Vancouver, Washington, maybe. Vancouver, BC no way.

[@elizabethmcleod246]

@@ChadSimpson-ft7yzYes

[@chocolatetownforever7537]

I think this was the most incredible geological event of our lifetime. To just snap three foot wide trees like that for MILES is just incredible force, and when Carter said the infamous moon looks like a golf course in comparison, he put it into proper perspective. I think he was right from looking at aerial footage.

[@pinlight97]

It is 100% what hooked me on geography…got an advanced degree in it now.

[@wonderswedste1789]

@@pinlight97 Wait until the yellowstone eruption bud, you'll put it to good use then I'm sure

[@Earthneedsado-over177]

When I visited Mount Saint Helens years after the eruption one thing that impressed me was the fact that trees on the hillsides sloping away from the blast were blown down in the direction of the blast but the trees on the hillsides sloping towards the mountain were blown down toward the mountain. In other words, the blast was so powerful it bounced off the hillsides and back toward the mountain. Sort of like setting off an explosion next to a brick wall, part of the shockwave would come back at you bouncing off the wall.

[@chocolatetownforever7537]

@@Earthneedsado-over177 Cool info. Thank you for sharing that. I remember being five years old when the eruption happened, and watching news reports here in PA. Was fascinated by this event ever since.

[@candiluchau3458]

I lived in Longview, WA when this happened. I remember how beautiful it was up there before this happened and how devastated it was after. I remember the terrible ash, seeing the homes, trees, mud, coming down the river, through Castle Rock. Fish flying out onto the banks, trying to escape the boiling hot water. I remember it all. I never imagined I would ever experience such a thing. So sad. So much loss. It took me a few years before I could face going up there to see the destruction. It truly was like stepping onto another planet. Unreal. It has recovered but of course will never be the same.

[@beardedbox80]

I love going to castle Rock! Hearing from my dad and grandma how bad it was they don't make it seam like it was life threatening for them but I live across the river about 3 hrs away from the mountain

[@yourenotjames568]

i feel so bad for the cat and dog of the old man who refused to evacuate, rip kitty and puppy :(

[@Earthneedsado-over177]

He probably thought nothing would happen because nothing was happening for quite a while. People get complacent easily.

[@thomasx58]

That guy, Roger, was like the sound of finger nails slowly, deliberately, going across a chalk board, on bearable.

[@dovbarleib3256]

The "I am not afraid" lady to enter the danger zone to visit her property on May 17th must have looked mighty dumb the very next morning if she had stayed the night.

[@courtney3743]

I remember going to the Mt. St. Helens museum when I was maybe 5 years old around 2002 (before the second eruption). It was so eerie seeing the forest STILL regrowing in the surrounding area. I remember learning about Venus and Raold’s story and thinking it sounded like a movie. As I got older, I’d think of the story of the couple who survived a mud flow by hopping across logs, and thought maybe I dreamed it because it seemed so unlikely. And now, 27 years old, I find their story again! Absolutely unfathomable. I would like to take my son to the new museum some day, and compare it to the memories I have of it.

[@kevintucker8803]

A&E states that ash went "as far south as Oklahoma" but, I collected ash off the hood of my dads car in Ft Worth Texas that was covered in approximately 2" of ash from Mt St. Helens.

[@alexandersupertramp7353]

It ended up drifting around the world. I'm 2.5 hrs North of her, and we had a good amount of ash buildup on our vehicles as well. I was 7, and I just remember our family rushing to leave our summer cabin not knowing what was coming. We just knew from the pumice that the mountain had erupted

[@haleyguthrie3113]

Oh ya...this is an older documentary, but the dust cloud is still in our atmosphere and viewable from space. Look it up

[@dennisg4053]

@@haleyguthrie3113 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo was FAR bigger than St Helens. The 2nd largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century, behind only the 1912 eruption of Novarupta in Alaska.

[@haleyguthrie3113]

@@dennisg4053 I agree. I didn't say St Helens was the biggest.

[@picklefish74]

My mother flew over what was left of it one year after on the way to her sister's place in Oregon.

[@brandihilton8485]

I am so glad that I discovered this video. My family & I were living in Vancouver in 1980 when it erupted. I was only 8 years old. We didnt know what happend. We didnt hear the eruption. I believe that we were in the "quiet zone". We got ash in Vancouver- We werent even close to the red zone.

[@dianapeebles1619]

2

[@karinabrampt1556]

At 45,000 feet on the day of the eruption of Mt. St. Helen, I was in a passenger jet flying directly over the site. I remember the Captain saying over the plane's intercom." If you look to the left you will see the Mt.St.Helens' eruption. Many passengers ran to the port side of the plane, including myself and there directly below us was a thick grey mushrooming cloud from Mt.St.Helens, billowing skyward and we all gasped in awe that we were witnesses to this incredible sight. What we never witnessed was the utter ground destruction the lives lost, both human and animal and the total destruction of the North face of the volcano.

[@pacnwguy9056]

So you're saying that instead of giving the volcanic ash cloud a wide berth, your pilot flew directly over it? According to Wikipedia, the ash cloud grew to a height of 12 miles, which is over 60,000 feet, in less than 10 minutes. But you were at only 45,000 feet? Sorry, but this smells a little fishy.

[@AuntieMHere]

I was monitoring the AP machine at SJSU in the days before it blew. I kept saying it was going to go soon, and I hoped people got out. My classmates kept saying I was an alarmist and it was no big deal, despite the writing on the wall. The minute it happened, I told them "Mt. St. Helens just blew." They laughed, not believing it. After they got calls about it on their newsroom phones (there was no Internet then), they stopped laughing. So tragic.

[@kimp428]

Back in 1980 - I worked with a guy, whose wife was good friends with a woman who was recently divorced. During the time that her husband had time with their two young girls - he kept taking them to Mt St Helens - even though it didn't seem reasonable to do so. The wife even went to court to try and keep the husband from taking the children to Mt St Helens. She lost in court .. and so the husband continued to take the children there .... until the day of the eruption. He and the two girls perished in the blast ... and it seems so sad that the court allowed those deaths to happen. It was heartbreaking to hear the details of the saga as it unfolded.

[@karenharris722]

Good Lord!!

[@michelleb7399]

I remember the photo of Venus and Roald that appeared in one of the large photo journals that was published (by The Columbian newspaper, i think) shortly after the May 18th event. I remembered Venus in particular because I recently had made a new friend, also named Venus. My friend had a horrible burn scar from a hot water accident as a toddler, so this Venus’s injuries stuck with me as such a strange, awful coincidence. I lived in Vancouver and the eruptions of MSH really impacted our lives for the first half of 1980.

[@trevorhall8549]

I will never forget this. We lived In Yakima at the time. I was almost 5 years old. I still have a jar of the ash that my parents collected from our front yard. It was horrific.

[@SunnyIlha]

The ash travel across the State. The dusting of the Land everywhere. It was spooky.

[@staryoga888]

🙏💞

[@staryoga888]

I worked in downtown Cleveland OH at the time and could see Lake Erie from our office many floors up. The ash cloud ring was visible (it circled the globe) for a long time. It made for some stunning sunsets though. Peace and safety to everyone, tomorrow is 4th of July. 🇺🇸💞🇺🇸

[@missrayelyn3045]

My gram was in Spokane, and she had over 12 inches of ash. . She recorded the change in light, and change in the air quality on a note pad. She also wrote about the clean up. She said you had to wipe with damp cloths first, then let it dry. The ash was to dense to use a vaccum. I went to Spokane about 3 weeks later to help uncle and cousins clean the outside. She gave me the notepad before I left.

[@just_kos99]

My friends' sister was in the service back then, and in Yakima the day it happened. She said by 1:30pm it was as dark as night, very eerie.

[@susannaCdonovan23]

I still have my National Geographic Magazine which showed in pictures the entire event. Really an awesome publication. I brought it to work and half the office decided to get a subscription to get that edition. I was only 22 when the blast occurred and living in Portland Oregon.

[@sunpwrd]

I had my copy of that issue for many decades, but it's gone now. The pictures were amazing. My favorite was a triptych of cross country skiers on a mountain to the north (Adams?) where it shows them from the back looking at the mountain in three frames, showing more amazement with each frame. The last frame shows one skier having fallen down from the excitement. The cover photo as I recall was from Yakima with a plum tree with pink blossoms with the billowing black cloud of ash filling the afternoon sky.

[@susannaCdonovan23]

@@sunpwrd I believe you could still get that edition from National Geographic from their archives. It's definitely one of their best. I remember the photo of the skier falling on his behind from amazement. National Geographic Magazine used to be extremely informative and was nonpartisan then. Just gave information from real journalists, scientists, and fantastic photographers.

[@SunnyIlha]

It was dormant for *123* years. Then half of the top of it was missing. *Scary*

[@susannaCdonovan23]

@@SunnyIlha What's really scary is that the natives in the area said that Mt St Helens and Mt Hood used to throw fire at each other. Mt Hood is twice as big and has been active since the blast on St Helens. If Mt Hood blows it will be Armageddon for Portland Oregon and Vancouver Washington and surrounding water channels.

[@SunnyIlha]

@@susannaCdonovan23 That like you've said, the Earthscape would be rewritten.

[@karenharris722]

How loud was Mt St Helens eruption? On 18th May 1980, Mount St Helens erupted in Skamania County, Washington. The force was enough to blow down trees 16 miles away and it was seen on the Space Shuttle from outer space. The sound measured 163 decibels and the force blew windows out up to 200 miles away in Seattle!

[@SunnyIlha]

I remember it. I was there 75 miles from it. As a very young adult. Something planetary happened and it scared me, real hard. Later on I thought, had there been a Town or City near the mountain, every single human being would have been killed.

[@ericwofford1896]

The Space Shuttle didn't first go up until 1981.

[@staciedonnelly3077]

As a family we camped there the summer before. My Nan took a small pine tree sapling home with us so quite possibly the only surviving tree is now growing in petersfield Hampshire UK! I have pumice from the eruption too I was 10 then and something I'll never forget

[@timothylampel815]

That lady at the road block saying I’m not afraid….you will be….you…will…be

[@Isabella-nh5dm]

I've always wondered what her place looked like after the eruption.

[@arikirubloodlust7386]

Hard to feel bad tbh. They were warned by Scientists to stay off the mountain. It astounds me to this day how much people will ignore warnings out of defiance, ignorance, or even curiosity.

[@loisdungey3528]

It's hard to believe that people take the warnings so lightly.

[@Silentsister]

I was in 6th grade when this happened. I lived in Sinclair, WY at the time. We got about 1-2" of ash as well. It's good to read the memories here. Reminds us that nature at its core makes our human stories seem minuscule.

[@OmmerSyssel]

Why are you USAmerican obsessed with either declaring respect or the opposite by any chance? In the end you have zero respect for anything but power and money. Look how your environment are systematically exploited and ruined.. If that is love, I wouldn't want to experience what hate looks like ... Pathetic clowns 🙄🤮

[@ghostshirt1984]

I was a baby in Seattle when this happened

[@beckygooch5065]

I was standing in my mother's kitchen. I was 18 years old. I had a newborn baby. Mom had said for days that it's been on the news and everybody knows it's not going to erupt. But then did. I still have tears when I watch documentary. God Bless the people that made it and I'm sorry for the ones that didn't.

[@linengray]

Why does every disaster have at least one douche bag who thinks they are smarter than mother earth? Rogers just escaped being cleaned out of the gene pool. Where is Darwinism when you need it?

[@edgraves7098]

Yep he came across as quite the asshat. And Truman was a cranky old man not some kind of folk hero.

[@faithhopper793]

Harry was a great old guy, I really liked him...I met him when my family went camping at Spirit Lake when I was a kid. I use to look forward to going up every summer. Knowing Harry it didn't surprise me when he refused to leave. By the way they mis-spelled Puyallup....Every one does and most can't pronounce it either, it's where I live today.

[@Brandi98225]

+Faith Hopper That's so cool you got a chance to meet him I am sure he was a wonderful man. I was only 3 when it happened and I lived in CA then. For years I had heard about it the eruption I felt bad for the people that parished but I think in Harry's case he had every right to stay where he had built his life since 1928-1980. I don't think he really knew how badly the massive eruption would be I don't think anyone really did. From what my friend told me cause she lives in Vancouver,WA his late wife he had buried on the property because they loved the mountian so much it was there life. Like he said I am a capt and if she goes down then I go down with her. I can't really blame him for staying I really can't what life would he had if had left everything would have been gone all the things he treasured so either way he would have died anyways. I did see some of the interviews of him and news crews that came to see him. He did sorta looked scared and alone. But I maybe wrong I can only imagine what it did look like back before it blew up I bet it looked like what Baker lake in Mt. Baker looks like very pretty would have love to seen it. Thank you for sharing your input on Harry.

[@susannaCdonovan23]

Lot's of people knew him and many tried to talk him into leaving. My sister worked with a young man who used to fish at Spirit Lake. He tried to convince him to leave but he wouldn't budge.

[@MarylandGuy-ey3st]

@@susannaCdonovan23 when you’re that age and you lived at a place like that that long you would rather be dead then be anywhere else

[@susannaCdonovan23]

@@MarylandGuy-ey3st He must have thought there was nothing else for him in life. I'm 64. I would abandon my home if I knew I would be dead in a volcanic eruption.

[@karenharris722]

@@susannaCdonovan23 I think he was just too old to care at that point. It was his home, and he was going with it!

[@jumpingturtle8830]

"That mountain and that lake is a part of Truman, and I'm part of it." -Truman's defiance of authority wins him a Darwin award at 8:33 AM

[@artysanmobile]

A 90-year old man for whom the mountain was his life itself, Truman struck me with his words as a fatalist and I can find no fault.

[@jumpingturtle8830]

@@artysanmobile Most people who unsuccessfully attempt suicide say they fervently regretted their decision when they faced their death. I'm guessing that's also true for fatalists. If he was mistaken about how he valued his life- or one of the rare cases that truly didn't want to leave even at the very end- I'm less inclined to criticize him for it.

[@artysanmobile]

@@jumpingturtle8830 He did not sound like someone who wanted to die. But he doesn’t sound exactly thrilled with the rest of the human race. I’m sure loved ones miss him terribly and I mean no disrespect at all.

[@RoyalMetal9]

He was 90 and his wife was buried there. He’s was fine with whatever happened.

[@RoyalMetal9]

@@Me-zu6fb Ya I get why he didn’t want to leave. Fair enough. But he didn’t haven’t take the cats down with him.

[@shawnwhite243]

I remember standing in our back in Rochester wa, watching the mountain blow and the next day we had a layer of ash everywhere. About a week later we drove down by the toutle river bridge,had to turn back because the ash from driving was clogging up the air cleaner. Seems so surreal. Remember camping at Spirit lake, And Harry Truman.

[@criscoleman]

My parents, who lived in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, at the time, said they got about a quarter inch of volcanic ash deposited on them, getting into everything, it was so fine. In nearby Spokane, Washington, it was like it was the middle of the night. I can't recall if it was the same in Cd'A, but it's only about 30 miles away, so I imagine it was the same.

[@BrandiHilton-pq2km]

Its amazing with how time has passed, the forests are/ have come back. The animals have returned to breed; the grass/ trees, and the fish. Its still an active volcano. We didn't believe that It was coming.

[@mauriwestmoreland5687]

I live in the North Idaho panhandle & I will never forget it. What a trip.