Today in HISTORY - What happened?

[JerseyJeeper]

Posting things us geezers may remember. I was a freshman in HS..

May 18'th 1980:

Mount St. Helens in Washington erupts, causing a massive avalanche and killing 57 people on this day in 1980. Ash from the volcanic eruption fell as far away as Minnesota.


Seismic activity at Mount St. Helens, which is 96 miles south of Seattle, began on March 16. A 4.2-magnitude tremor was recorded four days later and then, on March 23-24, there were 174 different recorded tremors. The first eruption occurred on March 27, when a 250-foot wide vent opened up on top of the mountain. Ash was blasted 10,000 feet in the air, some of which came down nearly 300 miles away in Spokane. The ash caused static electricity and lightning bolts.


Authorities issued a hazard watch for a 50-mile radius around the mountain. The National Guard set up road blocks to prevent access to the area, but these were easily avoided by using the region’s unguarded logging roads. Many residents of the area evacuated, but a substantial number refused. Harry Truman, 84–no relation to the former president–was one resident who refused to move and, after receiving a great deal of positive media coverage for his decision, became a national icon as well as, later, the subject of a local memorial.

volcano.jpg2000px-1980_Mount_st_helens_ash_distribution.svg.png

[admiral]

I was working in Tacoma on that day. Even from there looking up in the sky you could see the ash plume. Later that day we learning about the people who died. I remember lots of interviews show on TV with Harry leading up to the eruption. Ten years later in 1990, I went to the mountain. I couldn't believe how devastated the place still looked. It's pretty overwhelming to see all the trees laying pointing outward according to the terrain. And so far out to boot.

Couple months later we were traveling east on I-90. We stopped at a rest area near Ellensburg and the ash was piled up like snow in the winter. I retrieved some ash as a souvenir but somewhere along my life I lost it. I had some pictures of the ash and ash plume but those pictures are long gone as well.

Thanks for the memory reminder of that day.

[littletommy]

I was working in California for Pepsi Cola and I remember truck after truck after truck coming in with bottles half filled with ash. That stuff was like concrete. I can only imagine what it was like up here then...

Now Jersey; you've created a bit of a problem here...

Because now we want to know what happened in History tomorrow; and the day after that; and the day after that...and so on...

So bro... I guess you better do some research now. We'll be waiting for tomorrow!!!

When I saw your thread title; I thought that was a great idea. I would have jumped all over this for a daily bit of news...so have fun bro...ha ha you just created a new daily post!!! And we'll all just waiting to see what you dig up tomorrow!!

[ejfranz]

I was in grade 12 and we woke to ash all over everything in Naramata BC the next morning.

[white mule]

I worked on the restoration afterwards. I was an engineer on a Dredge in the Columbia River. The ash that came down the Cowlitz filled the Columbia ship channel from 40 feet to 17 feet.

[white mule]

A few pix of the mountain taken last fall on a TW ride. These were taken from the East side at McCellan view point on Curly Creek Road.DSCN0829.JPGDSCN0833.JPGDSCN0835.JPG

[akalogan]

I was almost 3 years old... apparently I don't really remember it. I don't even know if it got to the dry side???

[littletommy]

I was almost 3 years old... apparently I don't really remember it. I don't even know if it got to the dry side???

You're still just a whippersnapper!!

[wolfy]

Having relation in Washington, we were watching Brokaw's reports on the evening news with rapt interest. It was like watching one of today's reality drama series except it WAS reality! I recall the seismologists reporting on the daily visual swelling and widening fissure on the mountain....everybody knew it was going to blow. I also recall thinking Harry Truman was an idiot......stubbornness is one thing, but he must have had a death wish!

[TopPredator]

I was in the process of out processing from the USAF. I had been able to extend my service obligation by six months due to my first son being born. I had a job waiting with a word processing company NBI inc. I worked for them for 13 years. I moved from Biloxi MS to Martinsburg WV and lived with my in-laws until December. It was a grand six months vacation, my father in-law Ace and I fished all summer and hunted in the fall.
One of the last jobs I had in the AF was to prepare our C130 aircraft for a mission, not knowing they were on there way to Iran for a mission to rescue the hostages. Of course one didn't return after burning up in the desert.