The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens was the deadliest in U.S. history. Survivor testimonies and rare images reveal the cataclysms it unleashed.
Cast & crew
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Sophie Elwin-HarrisDirector
Bill RatnerNarrator%20by%20%E2%80%9ENatalia%20Spivak%E2%80%9D%2C%20licensed%20under%20%E2%80%9ECC%20BY%204.0%E2%80%9D%20(https%3A%2F%2Fcreativecommons.org%2Flicenses%2Fby%2F4.0%2F)%3C%2Fdc%3Arights%3E%3C%2Frdf%3ADescription%3E%3C%2Frdf%3ARDF%3E%3C%2Fmetadata%3E%3Cmask%20id%3D%22viewboxMask%22%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%2280%22%20height%3D%2280%22%20rx%3D%220%22%20ry%3D%220%22%20x%3D%220%22%20y%3D%220%22%20fill%3D%22%23fff%22%20%2F%3E%3C%2Fmask%3E%3Cg%20mask%3D%22url(%23viewboxMask)%22%3E%3Crect%20fill%3D%22%23ffa6e6%22%20width%3D%2280%22%20height%3D%2280%22%20x%3D%220%22%20y%3D%220%22%20%2F%3E%3Cpath%20d%3D%22M19.07%2030.47s1.57-20.23%2021.59-20.23S62.3%2030.55%2062.3%2030.55s9.43-.8%209.43%207.6c0%208.42-9.28%207.13-9.28%207.13S60.9%2067.15%2042.03%2067.15c-21.11%200-23.4-20.8-23.4-20.8s-9%20.72-9.93-6.25c-1.08-8.2%2010.37-9.64%2010.37-9.64%22%20fill%3D%22%23c26450%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20d%3D%22m64.3%2039.49.46-.41.1-.09c.12-.1-.13.1-.02.02l.24-.17q.5-.35%201.06-.62l.26-.12.05-.02.05-.02.58-.21q.6-.18%201.2-.28c.52-.08.85-.76.7-1.23-.18-.56-.67-.8-1.23-.7a9.3%209.3%200%200%200-4.87%202.43c-.38.36-.4%201.06%200%201.4.4.36%201%20.4%201.4%200zm-51.8-1.16.14.01c-.27-.02-.11-.01-.04%200l.3.05.52.14.28.09.12.05c.02%200%20.22.09.06.02-.14-.1%200-.04.03-.03l.15.06.26.13.47.3.27.22q.47.38.83.83c.33.4%201.07.37%201.41%200%20.4-.43.36-.98%200-1.4a7.3%207.3%200%200%200-4.84-2.53c-.52-.06-1.02.5-1%201%20.03.59.44.94%201%201m18.3-1.9v4.54c0%20.52.46%201.02%201%201s1-.44%201-1V36.4c0-.52-.46-1.02-1-1s-1%20.44-1%201M49.2%2036l-.15%204.81a1%201%200%200%200%201%201c.56-.02.98-.44%201-1l.15-4.8a1%201%200%200%200-1-1%201%201%200%200%200-1%201%22%20fill%3D%22black%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20d%3D%22M27.86%2043.79c2.41%209.29%2015.16%2012.28%2022.34%206.67a14%2014%200%200%200%204.7-7.22c.36-1.24-1.57-1.77-1.93-.53-1.24%204.23-4.33%207.39-8.68%208.33-3.77.8-8.03-.1-11.05-2.52a10%2010%200%200%201-3.45-5.26c-.34-1.25-2.27-.72-1.95.53%22%20fill%3D%22black%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20d%3D%22m64.3%2039.49.46-.41.1-.09c.12-.1-.13.1-.02.02l.24-.17q.5-.35%201.06-.62l.26-.12.05-.02.05-.02.58-.21q.6-.18%201.2-.28c.52-.08.85-.76.7-1.23-.18-.56-.67-.8-1.23-.7a9.3%209.3%200%200%200-4.87%202.43c-.38.36-.4%201.06%200%201.4.4.36%201%20.4%201.4%200zm-51.8-1.16.14.01c-.27-.02-.11-.01-.04%200l.3.05.52.14.28.09.12.05c.02%200%20.22.09.06.02-.14-.1%200-.04.03-.03l.15.06.26.13.47.3.27.22q.47.38.83.83c.33.4%201.07.37%201.41%200%20.4-.43.36-.98%200-1.4a7.3%207.3%200%200%200-4.84-2.53c-.52-.06-1.02.5-1%201%20.03.59.44.94%201%201%22%20fill%3D%22%23fff500%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20d%3D%22M75.32%2050.46c-.64-2.77-3.29-4.28-3.29-4.28a13.2%2013.2%200%200%201-.21%2010.87c.21-3.4-2.98-4.69-2.98-4.69%200%2011.29-10.44%2013.85-10.44%2013.85%204.05-5.97%202.13-11.08%202.13-11.08-2.13%202.77-5.54%202.34-5.54%202.34%204.9-3.84%204.69-11.08%204.69-11.08l-3.62%202.34c4.05-7.46.43-19.39.43-19.39l-1.5%204.7-7.45-6.83-.43%204.05-9.6-6.18%202.14%206.82L26%2021.67c.01%200-5.32%2011.29.86%2023.65%200%200-4.05-.64-5.97-4.69%200%200%20.85%2011.29%208.1%2015.98-.04%200-1.96%202.34-6.65-2.13%200%200-.43%208.95%207.88%2014.06%200%200-10%20.64-14.06-13.21%200%200-3.84.64-2.34%207.03%200%200-5.97-2.13-4.26-10.44%200%200-1.57-.81-3.64%204.93%200%200-3.76-28.24%2010.67-42.64C30.29.58%2057.75%204.05%2067.55%2016.34c12.19%2015.29%207.77%2034.11%207.77%2034.11%22%20fill%3D%22%23fff500%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fg%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E)
Donald A. SwansonSelf - USGS Volcanologist
Dixy Lee RaySelf (archive footage)%20by%20%E2%80%9ENatalia%20Spivak%E2%80%9D%2C%20licensed%20under%20%E2%80%9ECC%20BY%204.0%E2%80%9D%20(https%3A%2F%2Fcreativecommons.org%2Flicenses%2Fby%2F4.0%2F)%3C%2Fdc%3Arights%3E%3C%2Frdf%3ADescription%3E%3C%2Frdf%3ARDF%3E%3C%2Fmetadata%3E%3Cmask%20id%3D%22viewboxMask%22%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%2280%22%20height%3D%2280%22%20rx%3D%220%22%20ry%3D%220%22%20x%3D%220%22%20y%3D%220%22%20fill%3D%22%23fff%22%20%2F%3E%3C%2Fmask%3E%3Cg%20mask%3D%22url(%23viewboxMask)%22%3E%3Crect%20fill%3D%22%2329e051%22%20width%3D%2280%22%20height%3D%2280%22%20x%3D%220%22%20y%3D%220%22%20%2F%3E%3Cpath%20d%3D%22M19.07%2030.47s1.57-20.23%2021.59-20.23S62.3%2030.55%2062.3%2030.55s9.43-.8%209.43%207.6c0%208.42-9.28%207.13-9.28%207.13S60.9%2067.15%2042.03%2067.15c-21.11%200-23.4-20.8-23.4-20.8s-9%20.72-9.93-6.25c-1.08-8.2%2010.37-9.64%2010.37-9.64%22%20fill%3D%22%23c26450%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20d%3D%22m64.3%2039.49.46-.41.1-.09c.12-.1-.13.1-.02.02l.24-.17q.5-.35%201.06-.62l.26-.12.05-.02.05-.02.58-.21q.6-.18%201.2-.28c.52-.08.85-.76.7-1.23-.18-.56-.67-.8-1.23-.7a9.3%209.3%200%200%200-4.87%202.43c-.38.36-.4%201.06%200%201.4.4.36%201%20.4%201.4%200zm-51.8-1.16.14.01c-.27-.02-.11-.01-.04%200l.3.05.52.14.28.09.12.05c.02%200%20.22.09.06.02-.14-.1%200-.04.03-.03l.15.06.26.13.47.3.27.22q.47.38.83.83c.33.4%201.07.37%201.41%200%20.4-.43.36-.98%200-1.4a7.3%207.3%200%200%200-4.84-2.53c-.52-.06-1.02.5-1%201%20.03.59.44.94%201%201m18.3-1.9v4.54c0%20.52.46%201.02%201%201s1-.44%201-1V36.4c0-.52-.46-1.02-1-1s-1%20.44-1%201M49.2%2036l-.15%204.81a1%201%200%200%200%201%201c.56-.02.98-.44%201-1l.15-4.8a1%201%200%200%200-1-1%201%201%200%200%200-1%201%22%20fill%3D%22black%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20d%3D%22M30.36%2048.8c.6-.5%202.22-2.29%202.9-2.12.41.1%201.03%201.1%201.3%201.41l1.57%201.74c.48.53%201.2.28%201.57-.2.88-1.15%202.48-2%203.68-2.78l-1.21-.16c1.02%201.08%202.36%202.66%203.9%203.06%201.34.34%202.28-.9%203.12-1.7q.44-.47.87-.88.3-.28.58-.58.1-.2.28.28c.72.5%201.33%201.4%201.92%202.04.89.94%202.3-.48%201.4-1.4l-1.91-2.05c-.45-.47-.9-.97-1.62-1-.6%200-1.08.35-1.5.73-.7.65-1.35%201.36-2.02%202-.05.07-.52.63-.66.64-.08%200-.24-.16-.33-.2-.42-.17-.8-.58-1.13-.88q-.78-.72-1.5-1.5a1%201%200%200%200-1.2-.17c-1.52%201-3.28%202.04-4.4%203.5l1.57-.2-2.3-2.53c-.51-.57-1.04-1.17-1.84-1.3s-1.45.3-2.06.8l-2.41%202c-1%20.82.43%202.23%201.4%201.4z%22%20fill%3D%22black%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20d%3D%22M19.51%2030.42c16.36-4.9%2020.13-15.57%2020.13-15.57S51.18%2029.46%2060.6%2030.5c0-.01.85-.03%202.57.15%200%200-3.22-21.28-23.36-20.56S18.19%2030.61%2018.19%2030.61l1.32-.2z%22%20fill%3D%22%23ff543d%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fg%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E)
George BarkerSelf - Deputy Sheriff, Skamania Co.
Harry R. TrumanSelf (archive footage)
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Dorothy StoffelSelf - Geologist
Catherine HicksonSelf - Volcanologist
