What kind of warning was issued to those closest to Mt. St. Helens, before the eruption in 1980?

Douglas

I'm not sure of the details, but I think that within a month or so of the initial start of the unrest, it became clear that the volcano was headed towards an explosive eruption. Once this was realized the folks living on and near the volcano were ordered to evacuate. I know that people were allowed to go into the exclusion zones to cut timber and to tend to their homes. In fact, just the day before a few hundred folks had been let in for the first time in a while to check on their property. If the eruption had occurred 20 hours earlier the death toll would have been much higher. The specific warnings involved the definition of a "red zone" into which people were not permitted. I think that as the build-up to the eruption continued this zone was re-defined (namely getting bigger). There is a volcanic hazard map for Mt. St. Helens on the web at: http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/MSH/Hazards/OFR95-497/framework.html

Sincerely,
Scott Rowland

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