WGNO

Looking back: Mount St. Helens erupted 41 years ago, killing 57 people

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — At 8:32 a.m. on May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted with a force that was heard more than 200 miles away.

Fifty-seven people were killed.


In honor of the 41st anniversary of the eruption, take a look at some of the jaw-dropping scenes of the aftermath:

Just eight days later, Nexstar’s KOIN 6 News aired a half-hour special about the eruption, featuring aerial shots before, during and after the cataclysmic event.

It also chronicled the well-known tale of Harry Truman, the 84-year-old mountain man who refused to leave.