Mount St. Helens 1980 eruption

May Library Jewel #1: Spectacular photos of St. Helens eruption

May 22, 2015 Secretary of State's Office

(Photo courtesy of Washington State Library) Days after documents related to the unforgettable 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption topped this month’s Archives Treasures online poll, we’re kicking off the May edition of State Library Jewels with a collection of aerial photos of the world-famous mountain during and after it literally blew its top and knocked down or buried 230 square miles of forest beneath volcanic deposits. The eruption killed 57 people. The aerial and satellite shots of the mountain were…

Archives Treasure #3: Mount St. Helens eruption docs

May 15, 2015 Secretary of State's Office

Monday marks the 35th anniversary of a tragic “where-were-you-when-it-happened” moment for many Washingtonians: the eruption of Mount St. Helens. On the morning of May 18, 1980, the cone-shaped volcano erupted violently, killing 57 people and thousands of animals, unleashing devastating mudslides, damaging or destroying more than 4 billion board feet of timber and sending an ash plume 12 miles into the sky and covering much of Eastern Washington with the gritty ash. The 1980 event was the deadliest and most…

Remembering Mount St. Helens & May 18 eruption

May 17, 2013 Secretary of State's Office

(Photo courtesy of Washington State Library.) For many Washingtonians, the eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980, is one of those moments forever ingrained in collective memory. Saturday is the 33rd anniversary of the iconic mountain blowing her top. We feature photos from our State Archives and State Library showing how the mighty mountain and nearby Spirit Lake were popular recreational spots in the years before the devastating eruption. The last photo shows the mountain sending ash thousands…

From Our Corner

Washington Secretary of State Blog

Browsed by
Tag: Mount St. Helens 1980 eruption