Where Were You When Mount St. Helens Erupted?

OLYMPIA, WA — Next year marks the fourth decade since Mount St. Helens erupted, leaving 57 people dead and spewing 540 million tons of ash over 22,000 square miles. Ahead of that 40th anniversary, Washington State Parks is putting a call out for anyone with a story to share from that day. During the next several months, parks staff want to hear from all current and former residents who lived in the area on May 18th, 1980.

"You can pick up a historic newspaper or read a book about the eruption, but first-hand encounters from community members paint the real picture of that day," said Alysa Adams with the Mount St. Helens Visitor Center.

This winter, visitor center staff will transform the written and oral histories they collect into an exhibit that will go on display by mid-May. The exhibit will also feature news clippings from the eruption and other artifacts from the day. Visitors will have until October 2020 to experience it.

Here are three ways to share your story:

• Write a journal entry or share your contact information at the sharing corner, located inside the Mount St. Helens Visitor Center in Castle Rock.
• Send a synopsis of your story, via email, to Silver.Lake@parks.wa.gov
• Call 360-274-0962 and schedule an interview

East of the Cascades, Spokane's Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture will undertake a similar effort, looking to capture stories from those in Eastern Washington. State Parks says they will likely incorporate some of each other's stories into their respective displays.