Mount St. Helens 40th 'Eruptiversary' Events Move Online

OLYMPIA, WA — Monday will mark 40 years since Mount St. Helens erupted, killing 57 people, destroying 250 homes, and sending 540 million tons of ash over 22,000 square miles. The event remains the deadliest volcanic eruption in United States history.

Since Washington remains under stay-at-home orders related to the coronavirus pandemic, several virtual events are planned to commemorate the 40th "eruptiversary," starting this weekend.

Mount St. Helens 40th Eruptiversary Events:

Saturday, May 16

Bill Nye Live - 6 p.m.

Bill Nye will host a 45-minute live stream with King 5 and the Mount St. Helens Institute Saturday evening, which will be broadcast via YouTube and Facebook. Nye was originally scheduled to host in-person events in Portland and Seattle.

Sunday, May 17

A Landscape Across Time - 3:30 p.m.

The Portland Art Museum and the Mount St. Helens Institute showcase art, culture and science inspired by the mountain's changing landscape using Zoom and Facebook, joined by several special guests.

Monday, May 18

Volcano Preparedness Q&A - 11:30 a.m.

Washington Emergency Management's volcano preparedness coordinator will answer questions about Mount St. Helens and Washington's four other active volcanoes. Questions can be submitted in advance via the Facebook event page or asked during the stream.

Talk with a Ranger - 2 p.m.

A U.S. Forest Service ranger will host a brief talk about the eruption's legacy and be available for questions on a Facebook live stream.

Virtual Story Hour - 6 p.m.

Washington State Parks will share stories from those who lived in the state at the time of the eruption. Last year, the state put out a public call for those stories, to assemble a collection of first-hand encounters.

Mount St. Helens and the Cascade Range Volcanoes - 6:30 p.m.

Four scientists will host a discussion on how volcano monitoring has evolved since the 1980 eruption, hosted by the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. The panel will also hear a first-hand account of the eruption from the University of Washington seismologist Steve Malone. After the program, the scientists will field questions from viewers, beginning at 8 p.m.

You can watch the event live on YouTube or Facebook.

Virtual Science Pub - 6:30 p.m.

The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry will explore how the eruption played out, and what it taught researchers about volcanic processes and crisis management.

Find more links and information about all the planned virtual events here.