The Eruption of Mount St. Helens

Summary

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History Daily – "The Eruption of Mount St. Helens"

Host: Lindsey Graham
Date: May 18, 2026
Episode Theme:
This episode commemorates the catastrophic eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980—still the deadliest and most destructive volcanic event in U.S. history. Through vivid storytelling, host Lindsey Graham weaves together the personal stories of scientists, residents, and witnesses to explore the human and environmental toll of the eruption, from ominous warning signs to the aftermath and the resilience of nature.

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Episode Overview

• Main Theme: The eruption of Mount St. Helens and its impact on people, landscape, and scientific understanding.
• Purpose: To recount the events of May 18, 1980, through compelling personal stories and firsthand perspectives of those who witnessed or were lost in the disaster.
• Tone: Evocative, compassionate, and suspenseful—bringing a historic disaster to life while honoring those who experienced it.

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Key Segments & Insights

1. The Final Hours: David Johnston’s Vigil

[00:37–04:14]

• Scene Setting:

  • Volcanologist David Johnston, stationed at an observation post just six miles from the summit, records the mountain’s activity.
  • The north face’s suspicious bulge signals an imminent eruption; Johnston is both vigilant and weary after months of observation.

• Final Moments (Quote):

  • As the volcano ruptures, “David grabs his radio and screams: ‘Vancouver! Vancouver! This is it!’” (Lindsey Graham, [02:59])
  • These were the last words heard from David Johnston; his observation post is obliterated in the blast.

• Aftermath:

  • The explosion proves far more powerful than anticipated, erasing supposedly safe zones and claiming 57 lives—including Johnston’s.
  • “The eruption of Mount St. Helens would claim the lives of David and 56 others and cause billions of dollars of damage, becoming the worst volcanic incident in American history.” ([03:35])

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2. Refusing to Leave: Harry Truman’s Stand

[06:15–11:03]

• Profile:

  • Harry Truman, 83, is the stubborn caretaker of Mount St. Helens Lodge on Spirit Lake. Evacuations are widespread, but Harry refuses to abandon his lifelong home.

• Personal Loss:

  • Still mourning his wife Edna, Truman is described sympathetically: “The only visitors seem to be the 16 cats who now live there with him.” (Lindsey Graham, [07:57])

• Defiant Words (Quote):

  • “No, I’m not gonna leave. You’re damn right I’m not gonna leave. I’m gonna stay here. If I left, it’d kill me. ... So I’m like that old captain. By God, I’m going down with the ship.” (Harry Truman, [10:04])

• Outcome:

  • Despite warnings, Harry remains and is killed in the eruption when his lodge is destroyed.

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3. Witnesses in the Sky: The Stoffels’ Escape

[13:08–17:40]

• Adventure:

  • Geologists Dorothy and Keith Stoffel charter a plane to survey the volcano on the morning of May 18.

• Onset of Disaster:

  • The couple initially believes they’re too late for any action, until, “An enormous fracture opens up directly below the plane, cleaving the mountain apart.” (Lindsey Graham, [14:06])

• Awe & Terror (Memorable Moment):

  • The Stoffels witness the north half of Mount St. Helens being swept away—the largest landslide in recorded history—followed by the eruption.
  • Inside the plane: “Dorothy sits ... terrified. As the cloud lifts off Mount St. Helens, she can actually see inside the erupting volcano. Lightning generated by static electricity illuminates the crater.” ([15:27])
  • The pilot nose-dives the plane to escape the rapidly expanding, superheated cloud.

• Survival vs. Loss:

  • The Stoffels survive their harrowing escape and document the event, but many on the ground do not, including Harry Truman and David Johnston.

• Magnitude (Insight):

  • “The blast of Mount St. Helens generated about 500 times the force of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in World War II ... the ash spewed by the mountain will darken the skies of nearby cities.” (Lindsey Graham, [16:20])

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4. The Aftermath: Desolation and Recovery

[19:47–23:28]

• Survivors’ Ordeal:

  • A week after the blast, a film crew including Michael Lenow becomes stranded inside the devastated zone. Their compass useless due to magnetic interference, they experience the lifeless, gray silence that now envelops the land.

• Second Eruption:

  • The crew witnesses another, less catastrophic eruption. Michael, overcome by fear, prays for safety—but the team is ultimately rescued.

• Nature’s Resilience (Insight):

  • Remarkably, “small islands of plant and animal life will spring up in the desolation around the smoldering volcano. Nature will reclaim the land much faster than scientists will predict.” (Lindsey Graham, [21:40])

• Ongoing Vigilance:

  • The volcano enters dormancy in 2008 but remains closely monitored to prevent future tragedies.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• David Johnston’s last transmission:

  • “Vancouver! Vancouver! This is it!” (Lindsey Graham recounts, [02:59])

• Harry Truman’s steadfastness:

  • “I’m like that old captain. By God, I’m going down with the ship.” (Harry Truman, [10:16])

• Stoffel’s terrifying view from above:

  • “As the cloud lifts off Mount St. Helens, she can actually see inside the erupting volcano. Lightning generated by static electricity illuminates the crater.” (Lindsey Graham, [15:27])

• On the eruption’s magnitude:

  • “Scientists will declare that the blast of Mount St. Helens generated about 500 times the force of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.” (Lindsey Graham, [16:20])

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Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|----------------------------------------------------| | 00:37 | David Johnston observes the volcano | | 02:59 | Johnston’s final radio transmission | | 06:15 | Red Zone evacuations, report on Harry Truman | | 10:04 | Harry Truman’s defiant declaration | | 13:08 | Stoffels’ plane flight over Mount St. Helens | | 14:06 | Landslide and eruption unfold beneath the plane | | 15:27 | Stoffels witness eruption lighting inside volcano | | 16:20 | Blast compared to atomic bomb magnitude | | 19:47 | Film crew trapped after the eruption | | 21:40 | Nature’s unexpected rapid recovery |

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Conclusion & Reflection

Through its intimate retelling of Mount St. Helens’ eruption, this episode of History Daily balances the awe-inspiring force of nature with the deeply human narratives of bravery, stubbornness, curiosity, and survival. The personal stories of David Johnston, Harry Truman, and the Stoffels bring the events vividly to life while conveying the broader lessons learned by scientists and communities in the wake of disaster.

The episode ends on a note of resilience—both of the natural world and of the people dedicated to understanding and protecting it, ensuring that “no event may inflict the same level of destruction and loss of life” in the future. (Lindsey Graham, [23:00])

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Transcript

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It's just before 8:30am on May 18, 1980. At an observation post just six miles away from Mount St. Helens. A lanky bearded man with a crop of golden hair sits on a metal chair propped up at the edge of a stony ridge. As the first rays of sunlight brighten the jagged peak of Mount St. Helens, 30 year old David Johnston scribbles intently in the notebook on his lap, recording his observations about the mountain before him. At over 8,000ft, Mount St. Helens Towers over the surrounding national forest. For over a century, the volcano has been dormant, but two months ago, that started to change. In recent weeks, Mount St. Helens has been riddled with small eruptions and earthquakes. Some scientists think that the volcano is slowly stirring back to life. David is one of them. A volcanologist for the United States Geological Survey, he's one of the many scientists monitoring the mountain's reawakening. As David closes his notebook, he looks up at the snow capped peak of the volcano. His eyes are drawn to the unusual bulge on the north face of Mount St. Helens. It's the result of magma being pushed up within the peak, a concerning sign that an eruption may be near. The observation post David is manning has been set up to keep tabs on the rate at which that bulge is growing. Leaning back in his chair, David yawns softly. He woke up at the crack of dawn to measure the bulge and the early start is beginning to tire him. Balling up his fists, David rubs his eyes drowsily. But just as he starts to nod off, quiet rumbling jerks him away. David's eyes dart toward Mount St. Helens and his jaw drops. The north face of the mountain is vibrating. For a moment he doesn't trust his eyes, squinting to get a closer look. Then, all of a sudden, the swollen bulge on the mountain starts to slide down the side of the volcano, sparking an enormous landslide. David knows that he's supposed to be safe. The observation post is meant to be too far away to sustain any damage, so David doesn't even think about fleeing. All he worries about is alerting his colleagues in the nearby town of Vancouver. Springing to his feet, David grabs his radio and screams, vancouver. Vancouver. This is it. Those will be the last known words of David Johnston. As Mount St. Helens spews lava and ash, several rescue helicopters will fly over the ridge where the observation post once stood. But they will find no trace of it or of David. The blast will be more powerful than anticipated, devastating even areas thought to be safe and leaving only bare rock and uprooted trees in its wake. By its end, the eruption of Mount St. Helens would claim the lives of David and 56 others and cause billions of dollars of damage, becoming the worst volcanic incident in American history. On May 18, 1980, I was a bit curious, so I went looking for an answer. Does Santa Claus say ho, ho, ho in Germany? Yes, it turns out he does. But what about France? Yes, there too. But they don't pronounce the h, so it's more of a, O, o, O. And I assume the Austrians do, as the Germans looked that up. Still, why am I telling you all this? Because there are still some places left on my European Christmas market tour. A 10 day journey throughout France, Germany and Austria stuffed with Christmas tradition and history. You can join me too, but only if you act quickly. Over half of all available places are already taken. Tickets are on sale now, so reserve your spot. Go to historydaily.com and look for the Christmas market section. That's historydaily.com

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From Noiser and Airship, I'm Lindsey Graham and this is History. Daily. History is made every day on this podcast. Every day we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is May 18, 1980. The eruption of Mount St. Helens. It's a bright morning in early April 1980. Outside a rickety lodge at the edge of Spirit Lake, just north of Mount St. Helens, a few feet away from the crumbling three story building, reporter John Guernsey gazes through dense clusters of tall pine trees at the snow covered peak of Mount St. Helens. Reaching high into the clear blue sky, the trees sway in the sunlight as a gentle wind picks up. It looks like a perfect spring day, but John knows that this idyllic picture is misleading. Deep beneath the surface of the mountain, the tremendous plates that make up the Earth's crust are shifting. As the plates heave and twist, the ground above trembles. In the years between 1975 and 1980, there were less than 50 earthquakes on Mount St. Helens. But in just the third week of March 1980 alone, there were over 100. This increased activity alarmed the scientists who had been studying the mountain and now fear a potential eruption. Heeding the experts warnings, the government established a red zone around the mountain. If Mount St. Helens erupts, everything in this area will be reduced to rubble. As the quakes grow more frequent, the people living in the red zone have been evacuated to safer areas. Everyone except one resident who refuses to leave. A man John is eager to interview. John walks over to the front door of the lodge. He has barely raised his fist to knock when the door swings open and a gruff voice tells him to come in. When John steps inside, he's greeted by an old man with A cap sitting askew on his head. Harry Truman is the 83 year old owner of the Mount St. Helens Lodge and the only person refusing to evacuate. Harry quickly takes John on a tour of the lodge. Many news channels have visited Harry in the past few weeks, and John quickly learns something all of them must have. Don't interview Harry Truman. You simply listen to him. As he walks briskly through cluttered rooms, Harry tells John that the lodge has been his home for over 50 years. He pauses at a collage of pictures on one of the walls, pointing at the photograph of a woman in a wide brim hat. Harry's voice grows tender. He says that that is his late wife, Edna. For decades the pair ran the lodge together, renting cabins and boats to visitors. But after Edna died three years ago, Harry mostly retired. The lodge is falling apart now and the only visitor seem to be the 16 cats who now live there with him. For a few minutes, Harry stares longingly at the picture on the wall. When he turns back toward the reporter, the old man's eyes are moist. John suddenly feels a pang of sorrow for him. But before he can say anything, Harry offers him his drink of choice, Coke mixed with a generous splash of bourbon. John politely declines, but Harry makes one for himself anyway. After making the drink, Harry leafs through a thick pile of his mail. The news channels have made him into something of a local celebrity. He shakes his head as he sees letters addressed to him by school children begging him to leave the lodge before Mount St. Helens erupts. Harry makes himself a second drink and the men settle down in the living room. John asks Harry once again if he would consider leaving the lodge, and Harry just chuckles, deep wrinkles framing his pale face. Taking off his cap to reveal a patch of scanty white hair, he says,

[Harry Truman]

no, I'm not gonna leave. You're damn right I'm not gonna leave. I'm gonna stay here. If I left, it'd kill me. If I left this place and lost my home, I'd die in a week. I couldn't live. I couldn't. I couldn't extend it. So I'm like that old captain. By God, I'm going down the ship.

[Lindsey Graham]

As the interview comes to an end, Harry poses for a photograph outside the lodge. He grins into the camera, holding up his glass of Coke and bourbon. In the background, the serene white peak of Mount St. Helens towers over him. True to his word, Harry Truman will never leave his beloved lodge. Not when stronger quakes rattle the ground on which it's built. Not even when a series of small explosions will leave behind a 200 foot wide crater at Mount St. Helens summit. Harry will ardently believe that his lodge is too far away from the angry mountain to be affected by any potential eruption. But just a month later, Mount St. Helens will prove Harry wrong.

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It's around 8:15am on the morning. Morning of May 18, 1980. A small single engine plane is flying toward the crater of Mount St. Helens. In the front seat of the small craft sits a blue eyed woman gazing out the window in awe. Dorothy Stoffel is struck by the sight of the enormous deep hole at the summit of the snow capped mountain. In the seat behind Dorothy sits her husband Keith, who is also staring out the window, transfixed. The Stoffels are both geologists who live in Spokane, Washington, but they made the journey west to witness this awakening volcano. Mount St. Helens has been showing signs of pre eruptive activity, like earthquakes and minor explosions. It's all been monitored regularly and scientists still can't say with certainty when or even if it will erupt. But the Stoffels didn't want to pass up the chance to see an active volcano up close, so they chartered a small plane to fly them to Mount St. Helens. As Dorothy peers out the window, she she sees a lone red pickup truck winding along the road which cuts through a sea of pine trees. She can't help but feel a little disappointed by the sight. Her surroundings are beautiful and tranquil. As a scientist, Dorothy hoped to see some action when they are up in the air. But Mount St. Helens is so calm that she's convinced they're too late. The volcano must already be dormant again. But just 10 minutes later, she realizes that by Mother Nature's clock, they are exactly on time. As the plane gently circles over the summit's crater, Dorothy notices growing clouds of steam rising from the mountain. Not thinking much of this, Dorothy continues watching, unconcerned. Then Dorothy sees something that makes her grab her camera in excitement. The ice from the glacier that is perched on the wall of the crater is falling into the cavernous depths of the mountain. She thinks, oh, finally, a little activity. But what Dorothy thinks is a little activity is actually a magnitude 5.1 earthquake shaking the moody volcano to life. Just as Dorothy snaps a second picture, an enormous fracture opens up directly below the plain, cleaving the mountain apart. It looks like someone is slicing Mount St. Helens in half. Dorothy and Keith watch in shock as the north half of the mountain vibrates vigorously while the south half remains absolutely still. Before the couple can make sense of what's happening, the north half of Mount St. Helens ripples, churns, and then starts sliding away in one tremendous fluid block. 3 billion cubic yards of ice and rock hurtling down the mountain in what will be the largest landslide in recorded history. The pilot of the plane doesn't understand the danger this poses to the flimsy craft that's only 500ft above the crater of an erupting volcano. Tipping the wing of the plane so the couple can look down, he calmly tells the geologists to take more pictures. As Keith photographs chunks of the mountain falling away, huge volumes of steam Start pouring out of the north face of the volcano. The plane levels out and climbs just a bit to clear the summit. When Mount St. Helens erupts inside the aircraft, Dorothy, Keith and the pilot don't feel or hear anything. They only see a thick gray cloud mushroom above the disintegrating mountain. In a matter of seconds, the blast cloud has billowed to an enormous size. Dorothy sits inside the plane, terrified. As the cloud lifts off Mount St. Helens, she can actually see inside the erupting volcano. Lightning generated by static electricity illuminates the crater. Surging forward at 300 miles per hour, the blast cloud threatens to engulf the plane. And with an internal temperature of 600 degrees Fahrenheit, it would surely incinerate the plane and everyone in it. With the engine already at full throttle, the pilot steers the plane into a nosedive to gain speed to escape the cloud hurtling toward them. He turns the plane south, and they make a speedy escape. Soon after, the craft lands in Portland with everyone on board safe and sound. But others are not so fortunate. The eruption of Mount St. Helens will cause 57 people to lose their lives, among them Harry Truman in his lodge and David Johnson in his observation post. Scientists will later declare that the blast of Mount St. Helens generated about 500 times the force of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in World War II. Tremors from the blast will be felt hundreds of miles away, and the ash spewed by the mountain will darken the skies of nearby cities. But after the eruption, it will at least seem that the worst is over. But in actuality, Mount St. Helens will have much more in store.

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It's the early morning of May 25, 1980 on Mount St. Helens, one week after it erupted. Michael Lenow wanders the devastated slopes of the treacherous volcano. He's part of a five member film crew that ventured inside the destruction zone to capture the aftermath of the eruption. But what was supposed to be a short day trip has gone horribly awry. The helicopter that dropped the crew inside the zone was scheduled to pick them up at a designated spot that evening, but the group missed the range rendezvous. The compasses they were counting on to navigate the mountain stopped working because of magnetic particles and the swirling volcanic dust around them. For the last couple of days, the crew has been wandering through a dystopian landscape, directionless, with very little food, barely any shelter and almost no hope. Michael is a 20 year old cameraman, the youngest of the group. He stares desolately at the compass in his hand, the metal needle only spinning wildly across the dial. Sighing, he sits down on a jagged tree trunk that has been felled by the landslide, a reminder of the thousand year old forests that were flattened in mere seconds. Michael can't bear to look at the destruction. He squeezes his eyes shut. But that's no good either without the birds, animals and insects that bring a forest to life. A deathly silence hangs in the air, but a loud exclamation suddenly cuts through the quiet. Michael's eyes shoot open and his gaze follows the direction of his colleague's outstretched arm. Just a few Miles away, brilliant flashes of lava dance above the summit of Mount St. Helens. Michael's heart sinks. It's another eruption. And if this is anything like the one that shook the mountain a week ago, Michael knows they will all be dead in seconds. The 20 year old sinks to his knees and clasps his hands together in prayer, fervently whispering, God help. But fortunately, Michael and all the other members of the film crew were will survive this disaster. A few days after this second eruption, a rescue helicopter will pick them up and bring them to safety. The mountain's most recent volcanic episode will not be nearly as devastating as its first. And just a few weeks later, small islands of plant and animal life will spring up in the desolation around the smoldering volcano. Nature will reclaim the land much faster than scientists will predict. And though for the next three decades Mount St. Helens will continue to display signs of activity, in 2008 the volcano will enter a dormant period. After this tragic and violent event, Mount St. Helens will return to be popular among climbing enthusiasts. But as human activity near the volcano grows, geologists will monitor it even more closely, searching for any signs of activity and working to ensure that no event may inflict the same level of destruction and loss of life caused by the eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980. Next on History Daily. May 19, 1974. In an effort to demonstrate three dimensional movement, Hungarian professor Erno Rubin creates the prototype for his famous puzzle Cub. From Noiser and Airship. This is History Daily hosted, edited and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham Audio editing by Mohammad Shahzeeb Sound design by Katrina Zemrak Music by Lindsey Graham. This episode is written and researched by Rhea Perohit. Produced by Alexandra Curry Buckner. Executive producers are Steven Walters for Airship and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.

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Anyways, get a [e-mail] or with your local agent.

[Liberty Mutual Chorus]

Liberty, Liberty. Liberty. Liberty.