mt st helens before and after

Mount St. Helens before its 1980 eruption was a lush, forested volcano with dense old-growth forests consisting of Douglas firs, Pacific silver firs, and mountain hemlocks. The area around the mountain included deep, clear blue waters of Spirit Lake and was home to various wildlife, including small mammals like flying squirrels. The mountain stood quietly for 123 years after its last eruption in 1857, with the natural environment flourishing and attracting settlers and tourists. After the catastrophic eruption on May 18, 1980, the landscape changed drastically. The north side of Mount St. Helens collapsed in a massive landslide, the largest in recorded history, which devastated the surrounding forests and reshaped the terrain. The eruption led to a massive ash column, pyroclastic flows, and lahars that destroyed forests covering an area the size of Chicago. Spirit Lake was filled with ash and debris, and the region lost much of its animal life. The eruption killed 57 people and destroyed hundreds of homes in the surrounding area. Over time, the area began to recover naturally, with new life growing amid the volcanic aftermath. Visual comparisons show a distinctly lush and pristine mountain before the eruption, with deep forest cover and clear lakes, contrasted sharply by the barren, scarred landscape of the aftermath where ash, rock, and devastated terrain dominate the scene.