The eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington state, 44 years ago today, an explosion which released as much power as 1600 Hiroshima A-bombs, was probably the biggest domestic story of 1980 in the U.S. until the election. As the threat of an eruption increased, it was in the news for weeks prior to May 18, and the aftermath was covered for months. The landscape around the mountain still remains starkly changed to this day. Fifty-seven people died as a direct result.
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@DavidSalo I remember it well. On the Canadian side of the border, my driveway cracked and we got covered in ash. #history