Narrative of Mount St. Helens By human standards--especially to those nearby--the eruption seemed to be of apocalyptic proportions. The crown and heart of a whole mountain were blasted away, and the entire surrounding landscape was changed. The energy released is estimated at many megatons--thousands of times stronger than the Hiroshima bomb. The eruption claimed 57 human lives, thousands of deer, elk, and bears, and countless smaller animals. It destroyed 232 square miles of forest, numerous structures, roads, and machines, and partially buried communities up to a thousand miles away. Yet, the losses could have been much greater, especially if it had occurred at a busier time or if the blast had been directed toward the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area, only 45 miles away to the southwest, or if the wind had been blowing toward the southwest.
The eruption of Mount St. Helens, in Washington State, on May 18, 1980, must surely rank as the most intensively studied volcanic event (Lipman & Mullineaux, 1982). Damage to forests cost $450 million; to property, $103 million; to agriculture, $39 million. Clean-up cost was an additional $363 million, but most of these sums were absorbed by the Federal Government without a significant impact on the national economy. For an extended discussion of Mount St. Helens, see http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/ljt_slideset.html [ Narrative of Mt. St. Helens: page 1 / page 2 / page 3 / page 4 / page 5 ] |
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