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Mount St. Helens – The Untold Story   

The 1980s eruption of Mount St. Helens was one of the largest volcanic eruptions in human history. It killed 57 people, caused more than one billion dollars in damage, and deposited ash across the United States and Canada. Almost everyone who was living in the Pacific Northwest in 1980 remembers where they were when they heard that Mount St. Helens had erupted.

The loss of life could have been much worse than it was. If the volcano had erupted 24 hours later, ten times as many people could have died. But why were people so close to such a dangerous volcano? Seattle author Steve Olson explains how the history, economics, and even culture of Washington State affected the human toll of that unforgettable day. Interweaving accounts of those who lived and those who died with the past, present, and future of the mountain, he provides new insights into what happened at Mount St. Helens and how to avoid such tragedies in the future.

 

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