20 May 1980 ~ Mount St. Helens Eruption

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_St._Helens
20 may 1980
The Mount St. Helens major eruption of May 18, 1980
remains the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event
in U.S. history.[4]

Fifty-seven people were killed; 200 homes, 47 bridges,
15 miles (24 km) of railways, and 185 miles (298 km) of highway
were destroyed.[5]

A massive debris avalanche, triggered by a magnitude 5.1 earthquake,
caused a lateral eruption[6]

that reduced the elevation of the mountain's summit
from 9,677 ft (2,950 m) to 8,363 ft (2,549 m),
leaving a 1 mile (1.6 km) wide horseshoe-shaped crater.[7]

The debris avalanche was 0.6 cubic miles (2.5 km3) in volume.[8]

The 1980 eruption disrupted terrestrial ecosystems near the volcano.
By contrast, aquatic ecosystems in the area greatly benefited
from the amounts of ash, allowing life to multiply rapidly.
Six years after the eruption, most lakes in the area
had returned to their normal state.[9]

Frank R. Spellman @FrankRSpellman says:
On August 17, 2017, i took this photo 5 years ago today
on the Loowit Trail while i did the 33 mile hike around Mt. St. Helens,
3 glorious days.

The photo here shows the north face of the mountain...
instead of erupting vertically, she blow laterally and killed all living things
in 14+ miles in north direction.

Love this place....wildflowers only in August, mostly.