Relive KOMO News coverage as Mt. St. Helens blew its top 40 years ago
Monday is the 40th anniversary of the eruption of Mount St. Helens.
It's hard to believe it's been four decades since reporter Ken Schram, photographer Dave Crockett and I, as sound man, spent two weeks covering the initial rumblings of the mountain in March of 1980.
No one knew what was going to happen or how big it could possibly be. Every time it puffed, we thought that the next one would be the Big One.
Eventually, other crews cycled in and out, and then on Sunday morning, May 18th, it finally blew its top - literally.
Photographer Dave Crockett got caught in the blast and the next day shared his harrowing experience.
Bob Throndsen was the anchor for our one hour 5 p.m. newscast that Sunday. Here is a 20-minute edited version of how we covered the blast:
