>>>
>>> A
>>> A FATEFUL DAY. IN 32 MINUTES, IT WILL BE
EXACTLY 40 YEARS SINCE ONE OF
THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE NATURAL
DISASTERS IN OUR STATE'S
HISTORY.
HISTORY.
HISTORY. ON THIS DAY BACK IN 1980 AT
8:32 IN THE MORNING, MOUNT ST.
HELENS ERUPTED.
HELENS ERUPTED. IT WOULD QUICKLY BECOME THE
DEADLIEST VOLCANIC ERUPTION IN
U.S. HISTORY KILLING 57 PEOPLE
AND CAUSING $1 BILLION IN
DAMAGE.
DAMAGE.
DAMAGE. THIS MORNING, 40 YEARS AGO
LATER, WE ARE LOOKING AT MOUNT
ST. HELENS, TOP 1400 FEET OF
WHAT WAS THE MOUNTAIN IS NO
LONGER THERE.
LONGER THERE. IT WAS COMPLETELY BLOWN OFF.
RIGHT AFTER THAT ERUPTION 40
YEARS AGO, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE
SEEN MUCH.
SEEN MUCH. THAT'S BECAUSE ASH SPEWED TEN
MILES INTO THE AIR AND
BLANKETED THE NORTHWEST
STRETCHING TO 11 STATES AND
CANADA.
CANADA.
CANADA. GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING. WELCOME TO THIS SPECIAL
EDITION OF KING 5 MORNINGS
MOUNT ST. HELENS 40 YEARS
LATER.
LATER.
LATER. I
LATER. I AM MIMI JUNG.
>> WE ARE GOING TO LOOK BACK
AT THE FATEFUL DAY 40 YEARS
AGO THIS MORNING.
AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN WE
HAVE A COUNT DOWN CLOCK TO THE
MOMENT WHEN MOUNT ST. HELENS
ERUPTED IN 1980.
WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE OF WHAT
HAPPENED THEN AND FOUR DECADES
SINCE WITH RICH WHO WAS ON THE
MOUNTAIN JUST BEFORE THE
RUMBLING BEGAN.
RUMBLING BEGAN. HE HAS A GREAT STORY.
GLENN PARLAY AND MICHAEL CROW
ARE ROUNDING OUT OUR COVERAGE.
WE HAVE MORE ON HOW
CORONAVIRUS IS IMPACTING A KEY
INSTITUTE.
INSTITUTE. >> KING 5 NEWS WAS EXTENSIVELY
INVOLVED IN ALL THE NEWS
LEADING TO THE ERUPTION AND
EVERYTHING AFTER.
EVERYTHING AFTER. A LOOK AT THE COVERAGE BEFORE
AND AFTER THE FATEFUL DAY.
>> KING 5 JOURNALISTS WERE
DEEPLY INVOLVED IN THE STORY
FROM THE BUILD UP TO THE
ERUPTION, DAY OF THE ERUPTION,
THE AFTERMATH.
THE AFTERMATH. IT WAS SUMMED UP IN THIS
DEFINITIVE DOCUMENTARY.
DEFINITIVE DOCUMENTARY. >> NO MAGMA HAS YET COME TO
THE SURFACE.
THE SURFACE. IT IS HEATING SO MAGMA
CONCEIVABLY IS RISING.
IT LOOKS LIKE THERE IS A GOOD
CHANCE THERE WILL BE AN
ERUPTION.
ERUPTION.
ERUPTION. GEOLOGISTS KNEW IT WAS COMING.
SOMETHING.
SOMETHING. BUT NO ONE EXPECTED WHAT
HAPPENED AT 8:32 SUNDAY
MORNING, MAY 18, 1980.
THE MOUNTAIN BLEW UP.
>> THE SCALE OF IT ALL WAS
SIMPLY ASTOUNDING.
SIMPLY ASTOUNDING. IT WAS A HUMAN DISASTER, AND
EARLY COUNT PLACED DEAD AT 25
WITH 40 MISSING.
FAR MORE NEEDED EVACUATION.
RESCUERS QUICKLY BECAME
HEROES.
HEROES.
HEROES. THESE WERE FOLKS THAT SURVIVED
THE BLAST BUT WEREN'T OUT OF
DANGER.
DANGER.
DANGER. THE MUD WAS COMING.
>> GET OVER HERE!
>> THE SNOW AND GLACIERS ON
TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN MELTED AND
COMBINED WITH THE ASH TO FORM
MUD FLOWS THAT WOULD EXTEND
THE DISASTER MILES AND WAYS
AID WAY FROM THE MOUNTAIN
ITSELF.
ITSELF.
ITSELF. THE WORLD TURNED BLACK AND
WHITE EVEN ON COLOR FILM.
TEAR THROUGH LOGGING CAMPS
LEADING TO FLOODING, SWEEPING
AWAY HOMES.
AWAY HOMES. >> I HAD MADE UP MY MIND I WAS
GOING TO MAY E COMMERCE
EXPERIENCE IT.
EXPERIENCE IT. THE WIFE AND MY FRIEND WANTED
TO GIVE UP.
I COULDN'T.
I COULDN'T. I DON'T KNOW.
IT'S HARD FOR ME TO EVEN
REALIZE WHAT'S HAPPENED.
>> IT WASN'T OVER.
>> A MUSHROOM CLOUD OF SMOKE
SOARED 10 MILES ABOVE THE
CASCADES.
CASCADES.
CASCADES. IN CITIES EAST OF THE
MOUNTAIN, SUN WAS SNUFFED OUT
AS ASH FELL LIKE SNOW.
>> EVEN AS MANY FOUND RESCUE,
THE DISASTER WAS FAR FROM
OVER.
OVER.
OVER. DAWN ON MONDAY BROKE LIKE THE
FIRST DAY ON A STRANGE NEW
PLANET.
PLANET.
PLANET. UP THE RIVER VALLEY THE
DESTRUCTION WAS COMPLETE.
>> 40 YEARS AGO, THEY WORE
MASKS TOO BUT FOR A DIFFERENT
REASON.
REASON.
REASON. FOR MUCH OF THE STATE, ASH WAS
EVERYWHERE.
EVERYWHERE. >> IT AIN'T GOOD EITHER.
>> ASH HAD TO BE SHOVELED LIKE
SNOW.
SNOW.
SNOW. IT
SNOW. IT WASN'T GOING TO MELT.
>> PART OF THE HOUSE IS STILL
STANDING.
STANDING.
STANDING. WE LEFT WITH THE SHIRTS ON OUR
BACK.
BACK.
BACK. I'D
BACK. I'D LIKE TO GET BACK IN.
>> IT WAS AS SCARY AS SCARY
GETS.
GETS.
GETS. YOU
GETS. YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS
COMING OUT OF THE SKY.
YOU COULDN'T SEE.
IT WAS HARD TO BREATHE.
THE KIDS WERE CRYING SAYING
"DADDY, ARE WE GOING TO BE ALL
RIGHT"?
RIGHT"?
RIGHT"? >> MUD NOW STOPPED SET LIKE
WET CONCRETE.
WET CONCRETE. PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER CAME TO
SEE FOR HIMSELF.
>> SOMEBODY SAID IT LOOKED
LIKE A MOON SCAPE BUT THE MOON
LOOKS LIKE A GOLF COURSE
COMPARED TO WHAT'S UP THERE.
>> STILL THE MOUNTAIN BOILED.
IT WOULD ERUPT TWICE AGAIN
OVER THE NEXT MONTH SHOWERING
ASH OVER PORTLAND AND OLYMPIA
WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON. THIS ERUPTION, BLAST, EQUAL OF
A 50-MEGATON BOMB WAS MOST
DRAMATIC IN AT LEAST 500
YEARS.
YEARS.
YEARS. THERE ARE FIVE VOLCANOES IN
WASHINGTON STATE.
WASHINGTON STATE. MOUNT ST. HELENS IS JUST ONE
OF THEM.
OF THEM.
OF THEM. THE QUESTION, WHEN IS THE NEXT
ERUPTION?
ERUPTION?
ERUPTION? GLENN FARLEY, KING 5 NEWS.
>> WE HAVE THE ENTIRE
DOCUMENTARY ON OUR YOUTUBE
PAGE.
PAGE.
PAGE. TEXT HELENS TO 206-48-4545 FOR
A LINK.
A LINK.
A LINK. >>> RICH YOU WERE PART OF
EVERYTHING LEADING TO THE
EVENT.
EVENT.
EVENT. YOU WERE OF COURSE AROUND WHEN
ALL THIS HAPPENED.
TAKE US TO THE MOMENTS BEFORE.
YOU WERE A METEOROLOGIST FOR
U.S. FOREST SERVICE AVALANCHE
CENTER AND YOU WERE ON THE
MOUNTAIN BEFORE IT HAPPENED.
TAKE US TO THAT DAY.
>> QUITE A WHILE BEFORE IT
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED. THEY WERE LOOKING AT
INCREASING CROSS COUNTRY
SKIING AROUND SPIRIT LAKE AND
MAYBE DEVELOPING MORE TRAILS.
THEY ASKED US TO COME IN THAT
WINTER AND EVALUATE THE DANGER
AND LOOK AT THE WEATHER
FORECAST.
FORECAST.
FORECAST. THAT'S WHAT WE DID, WORKING
OUT OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE OFFICE.
SERVICE OFFICE. IT WAS A REALLY POPULAR PLACE.
THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN THE
FALL BEFORE IN '78 ACTUALLY.
IT WAS A SPECTACULAR PLACE, SO
BEAUTIFUL.
BEAUTIFUL. PEOPLE WERE EASILY DRAWN TO
IT.
IT.
IT. IT
IT. IT WAS A BIT OF A HAUL TO GET
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. IN
THERE. IN THE WINTER IT WAS PERFECT
FOR CROSS COUNTRYING SKIING.
WE HAD ALREADY BEEN THERE
THROUGH MUCH OF THE WINTER
GOING ON, CHECKING THINGS OUT.
WE PUT IN A CAR STUDY THAT WAS
THERE AND WE PUT MORE WEATHER
INSTRUMENTS AND HIRED A
WEATHER OBSERVER THAT WITH A
INWINTER.
INWINTER.
INWINTER. SHE LIVED NEXT TO HARRY TRUMAN
AND WAS TAKING WEATHER
OBSERVATIONS AND BUILT UP A
BACKGROUND HISTORY OF WITH A
IT WAS LIKE.
THIS LED TO MARCH 16.
FIRST ON THE LEFT AND MY
PARTNER IN THE AVALANCHE
CENTER IS MARK MOORE IN THE
BLUE.
BLUE.
BLUE. WE
BLUE. WE WERE DOWN THERE FREQUENTLY
DURING THE WINTER CHECKING OUT
WHAT WAS GOING ON.
WHEN THE FIRST EARTH QUAKES
OCCURRED AROUND MARCH 16, IT
SHOOK THE MOUNTAIN.
AS YOU IMAGINE, THE SNOWPACK.
WE STARTED SEEING AVALANCHES
IN PLACES YOU DIDN'T
ORDINARILY SEE AVALANCHES.
THIS IS RIGHT AFTER THE FIRST
SHAKES TOOK PLACE.
PART OF OUR JOB WAS TO
FORECAST THE WEATHER AND THE
AVALANCHE DANGER FOR THE
SCIENTISTS WORKING IN THE RED
ZONE.
ZONE.
ZONE. WE
ZONE. WE WORKED CLOSE TO WHERE THE
MOUNTAIN WAS.
MOUNTAIN WAS. WE CONTINUED TO MONITOR AND
LOOKED WITHIN THE SNOWPACK AND
WATCHING THE BULGE BUILD ON
THE NORTHSIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN.
WE BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT THE
FIRST PART OF MAY THAT WE
STARTED TO WORRY ABOUT OUR
OBSERVER IN SPIRIT LAKE AND
WENT IN AND DECIDED ON THE 8th
OF MAY THAT WE HAD TO TAKE HER
OUT.
OUT.
OUT. THIS
OUT. THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE.
THE SNOW HAD BECOME DIRTY FROM
THE ASH COMING OUT OF THE
MOUNTAIN.
MOUNTAIN.
MOUNTAIN. WE WENT TO HER AND TOOK HER
OUT OF THE SPIRIT LAKE LODGE
AREA.
AREA.
AREA. THAT WAS AN OLDER SHOT WHEN IT
WAS SNOWIER.
WAS SNOWIER. SHE DECIDED SHE WANTED ONE
LAST LOOK.
LAST LOOK. SO WE WENT TO THE TOP AND SAT
THERE AND WATCHED SUN SET ON
THE MOUNTAIN.
THE MOUNTAIN. THIS IS THE 8th OF MAY.
SHE WANTED TO SAY GOOD-BYE TO
HARRY TRUMAN SO WE GOT TO
SPEND AN HOUR AND A HALF WITH
HARRY TRUMAN AND MEET ALL HIS
CATS.
CATS.
CATS. WE
CATS. WE WERE ASKING AREN'T YOU
CONCERNED ABOUT THE MOUNTAINS?
THEY HAD NO CONCERNS.
HE WAS A CANTANKEROUS GUY FOR
SURE.
SURE.
SURE. THERE WAS A CAVE.
THERE WERE SUPPLIES AND A
SPEED BOAT.
SPEED BOAT. IF IT STARTED TO EAR YOU
PRESIDENT HE WOULD GET IN THE
SPEED BOAT AND GO ACROSS THE
LAKE.
LAKE.
LAKE. OBVIOUSLY HE DIDN'T MAKE IT
AND THAT WAS AN INTERESTING
EXPERIENCE.
EXPERIENCE. TEN DAYS LATER THERE WAS A
HUGE EXPLOSION.
HUGE EXPLOSION. I WAS ON THE RESCUE FLIGHTS
AND GOT TO SEE THE
TRANSFORMATION OF THE AREA
FROM THE BEAUTIFUL PRISTINE
WILDERNESS TO THIS.
WE'LL LOOK AT THAT IN OUR NEXT
HALF HOUR.
HALF HOUR. JAKE.
JAKE.
JAKE. >>
JAKE. >> AN INTERESTING STORY.
I LOVE YOUR HARRY TRUMAN
STORY.
STORY.
STORY. ALL MORNING LONG WE WILL LOOK
BACK ON THIS, 40 YEARS SINCE
THE ERUPTION WITH THE HELP OF
YOU AT HOME.
A LOT OF MEMORIES LIKE THIS
ONE FROM SEAN AUSTIN.
"HERE IS A PHOTO OF A STATE
TROOPER NOT LONG AFTER THE
ERUPTION ALL COVERED IN DUST."
THIS ONE IS FROM JUST A FEW
DAYS AGO, MAY 9, THANKS TO
GREG SNYDER WHO SENT THIS
PHOTO.
PHOTO.
PHOTO. YOU CAN SEE THE INSIDE OF THE
VOLCANO.
VOLCANO.
VOLCANO. ONE MORE FROM JANE, ASH ON A
CAR IN MOSES LAKE.
THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE
MANY MEMORIES WE HAVE BEEN
GETTING ALL MORNING AND ALL
WEEK.
WEEK.
WEEK. SEND YOUR PHOTOS