Mount Saint Helens - 26 years later

[HURAKAN]

It has been already 26 years since Mount Saint Helens woke up abruptly in that fateful morning of May 18, 1980. Fortunately most residents evacuated with time but 57 persons died in the tragedy. You may say that it was not an abrupt wakening since the volcano alerted many time of its possible awakening, nevertheless, before it woke up there were no indications that it was going to do so, and the scientists monitoring the volcano at a close range didn't have the time to get out of the way of the big blast.

[Janice]

Yes, I think everyone learns a lot from these eruptions, etc. But, man will never be able to completely be out of the path of death and destruction. There are too many natural disasters that give little or no warning and the ones that do, give little time for a lot of people to evacuate. Mother nature will always be in control.

[alicia-w]

I was in a hospital in Tacoma, Washington having just had my first son. They wouldnt let us leave the hospital because there was so much ash. My parents and my brother were on Mount Rainier when it blew and they saw the whole thing. They took some great pictures. It was a very scary experience and I hope I never have to see that again.