On the morning of May 18, 1980, research geologist Richard Waitt got a call from a Vancouver friend telling him a giant cloud was approaching the city from nearby Mount… Read story

It began with a striking image on the front page of The Seattle Times on Friday, June 5, 1987. Read story

Mount St. Helens 40th anniversary

On May 18th, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted killing 57 people and changing the way residents of the Northwest viewed the volcano in their midst. For the last 40 years, The Columbian has written about every aspect of the eruption — the people who died, including Columbian photographer Reid Blackburn, the survivors, the scientists, the tourists and the life that has slowly returned to the mountain. We have gathered our stories, along with reader recollections from over the years, here. The Longview Daily News also has a page dedicated to Mount St. Helens.