The 45th Anniversary Of Mt. St. Helens Eruption
1979 Ash Covered Plymouth After Eruption
May 18, 2025, marked the 45th anniversary of the eruption of Mount St. Helens. At the time, it had only been three and a half months since Marie and I were married and had moved from Pasadena, California, to Spokane, Washington. The eruption occurred at 8:32 a.m. PDT, just as I was getting ready for wor
Spokane is located roughly 350 miles northeast of the Yakama Indian Reservation, where Mount St. Helens is situated. Despite the distance, the eruption — still the deadliest volcanic event in U.S. history — claimed 57 lives and devastated approximately 230 square miles. Massive amounts of ash reached Spokane, covering everything around us.
We were in Spokane because I had accepted a position as Art Director at a small advertising firm after graduating from Art Center. Unfortunately, the role turned out to be a ruse. I was hired merely to show the existing Art Director that they could lure an Art Center graduate — there was no actual position, and the salary was significantly lower than promised. It was a complete bust. Just six months later, we moved back to Pasadena with our tails between our legs.