Explosion of Mt. St. Helens

On May 19, 1980, fifteen people lost their lives when a long-dormant volcano in southwestern Washington State erupted. The eruption of Mt. St. Helens that day destroyed 120 square miles and darkened the sky with smoke and ash up to 100 miles away. The volcano had laid dormant since 1857. You can read about this and other disasters in the Historical Disasters section.