debodun
SF VIP
- Location
- way upstate in New York, USA
Has it been that long?
Fortieth anniversary of the Mt. St. Helens eruption
- Thread starter debodun
- Start date
Em in Ohio
Senior Member
- Location
- OH HI OH
That was my reaction - and it made me feel SO old! A friend from there sent me a snail-mail envelop shortly after that was full of a whitish powder with no explanation - talk about a panic attack! I had no idea what it was! Phew - volcanic ash. I was relieved!
Happyflowerlady
Vagabond Flowerchild
- Location
- Northern Alabama
We lived in Spokane, Washington, which was east of the mountains, and the direction that the winds brought the ash. Even though we had been hearing on the news that Mt. Saint Helens was due to erupt anytime, we didn’t know that day that it had actually happened.
It was a nice sunny day and we were all outside in the yard that afternoon, when we noticed a huge black cloud heading our direction.
It looked much worse than any thunderstorm should have looked, so we went inside to see what the weather channel news was saying, and that is how we learned that the volcano had erupted.
The rest of the afternoon, we watched the ash cloud moving in, and before 5 that night, it was completely dark in Spokane, with ash falling that looked like snow drifting down everywhere.
The streets were pretty much silent, and the birds had gone to roost at around 3 that afternoon, so it was like some kind of surreal world with snow that wasn’t cold.
By the next morning, the ash had stopped falling, but the ground had several inches of ash all over. People were wearing masks, and some businesses were closed.
Because the ash was so heavy, it was pretty hard to get rid of, so the whole state of Washington was blanketed in ash for several years afterwards, as it slowly worked into the earth.
Years later, I lived several miles from the volcano, and we could drive up to the viewpoint at the top. Things were pretty devastated even then, but some vegetation was starting to come back. This would have been in the early 1990’s, and they have added new viewpoints and a much better road to get to the top since I was living in that area.
This is a picture of my daughter looking out over the barren mountainside from near the top of the volcano, from about 1993.
It was a nice sunny day and we were all outside in the yard that afternoon, when we noticed a huge black cloud heading our direction.
It looked much worse than any thunderstorm should have looked, so we went inside to see what the weather channel news was saying, and that is how we learned that the volcano had erupted.
The rest of the afternoon, we watched the ash cloud moving in, and before 5 that night, it was completely dark in Spokane, with ash falling that looked like snow drifting down everywhere.
The streets were pretty much silent, and the birds had gone to roost at around 3 that afternoon, so it was like some kind of surreal world with snow that wasn’t cold.
By the next morning, the ash had stopped falling, but the ground had several inches of ash all over. People were wearing masks, and some businesses were closed.
Because the ash was so heavy, it was pretty hard to get rid of, so the whole state of Washington was blanketed in ash for several years afterwards, as it slowly worked into the earth.
Years later, I lived several miles from the volcano, and we could drive up to the viewpoint at the top. Things were pretty devastated even then, but some vegetation was starting to come back. This would have been in the early 1990’s, and they have added new viewpoints and a much better road to get to the top since I was living in that area.
This is a picture of my daughter looking out over the barren mountainside from near the top of the volcano, from about 1993.
fuzzybuddy
SF VIP
- Location
- The Sticks, Northeast PA.
I remember that there were little vials of "Mt. St. Helens Ash" on sale everywhere.
Gardenlover
The world needs more love
Time flies. I wonder what the world will be like 40 years from now.
RadishRose
SF VIP
- Location
- Connecticut, USA
I also remember a man named Harry Truman lost his life because he wouldn't leave the area.
Em in Ohio
Senior Member
- Location
- OH HI OH
Quite possibly like Star Trek episodes, but without intergalactic travel or transporters. However, I think they will likely have holodecks and most folks will have virtual educations, virtual jobs, and virtual vacations!