18 May 1980
- Thread starter digitS'
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flowerbug
Garden Master
quite the event, i've watched a half dozen documentaries on that one. glad i wasn't there but what a way to go...
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digitS'
Garden Master
The side of the mountain that opened up and blew away seemed as tho it was aimed right at me. Of course, it didn't make a lot of different at 250 miles away. The wind would carry it whichever way the wind was gonna blow - at that distance.
Much dropped within several miles of the mountain. The serious floods were a result of both melting snow, a flushing out of Spirit Lake (the mountain lake), and dams of ash in the rivers.
Up until a few days before the eruption, I was discounting it as not likely to amount to much. Then, the reports came in about how much the mountain was bulging outward, on one side. The idea that pressure of gas could be lifting all that material sounded IMPRESSIVE! That some people would be "sight-seers" was beyond understanding.
Then, it blew up. I followed reports on my little transistor radio as I finished the workday in the greenhouse. Then, closed things up and went home - out the backdoor, since I lived on the property. By that time, the ash was falling. I remember that the dogs wanted out before bedtime and I'm wondering how I can protect 2 dogs that weigh about 30# each from the ash and nothing occurred to me beyond locking them in the kitchen. Yuck. They didn't seem to like it and were willing to keep outdoor visits brief.
Oh, it was a mess! Remarkable was the limited information from local authorities on the health hazards. Then as now, the mayor's office and county commissioners had to shelf their boosterism but economic damage was probably their first concern. Scaring the "essentials," who they likely discounted in all other seasons, was to be avoided as local industry staggered. Fortunately, it was something of a "rainy" summer and federal crop loss programs were in place.
Steve
Much dropped within several miles of the mountain. The serious floods were a result of both melting snow, a flushing out of Spirit Lake (the mountain lake), and dams of ash in the rivers.
Up until a few days before the eruption, I was discounting it as not likely to amount to much. Then, the reports came in about how much the mountain was bulging outward, on one side. The idea that pressure of gas could be lifting all that material sounded IMPRESSIVE! That some people would be "sight-seers" was beyond understanding.
Then, it blew up. I followed reports on my little transistor radio as I finished the workday in the greenhouse. Then, closed things up and went home - out the backdoor, since I lived on the property. By that time, the ash was falling. I remember that the dogs wanted out before bedtime and I'm wondering how I can protect 2 dogs that weigh about 30# each from the ash and nothing occurred to me beyond locking them in the kitchen. Yuck. They didn't seem to like it and were willing to keep outdoor visits brief.
Oh, it was a mess! Remarkable was the limited information from local authorities on the health hazards. Then as now, the mayor's office and county commissioners had to shelf their boosterism but economic damage was probably their first concern. Scaring the "essentials," who they likely discounted in all other seasons, was to be avoided as local industry staggered. Fortunately, it was something of a "rainy" summer and federal crop loss programs were in place.
Steve
Rhodie Ranch
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And in 1981, my ex and I were traveling to ID to explore, on his motorcycle. There was still about an inch of so of ash lining every street.
flowerbug
Garden Master
ash over pavement could make for some fun times on a motorcycle... eek!
It was a banner year for farmers and gardeners alike!
Now days paramagnetic basalt (volcanic ash) is one of my 3 big soil amendments, along with humic acid and azomite minerals. Each 3 x 12 ft beds gets 10 lbs of each element along with lesser amounts of a host of other goodies.
Now days paramagnetic basalt (volcanic ash) is one of my 3 big soil amendments, along with humic acid and azomite minerals. Each 3 x 12 ft beds gets 10 lbs of each element along with lesser amounts of a host of other goodies.
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digitS'
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Personal gardening - last paragraph 
. The agricultural industry, and all things related, was complex even 40 years ago.
Natural disaster. First of all, the ash wasn't evenly distributed. Here's a map from Wikipedia:
Despite my claim to being in the cross-hairs, I was up there east of Spokane. Some wheat, other grains, alfalfa, etc. But, look just a little ways south. That is some very important dryland wheat property and lots of ash. Fortunately, it was spring and also, the rains came in the following months. Here's a local newspaper looking back on that year: LINK
You will see from that article that even international relations played a part and equipment damage was a big problem but farmers mostly just plowed the ash in and planted their spring wheat. The soil scientist quoted pretty much discounted the fertilizer value.
Look back closer to the mountain on the map. Yakima and the surrounding area is an important agricultural area. For one thing, it is close to the urban centers of Seattle and Portland with some climate advantages. Mountain goes Boom! Once again, it was spring but some places had an enormous amount of ash. There is a lot of livestock processing in Yakima - you may have read about last year's C-19 outbreak in the meat packing plants. All those cows were outdoors during the eruption. Dairies, too. Spring alfalfa crops were devastated. A mess!
With my morning bowl of oatmeal, I had strawberries. Of course, they were ripe and from California. Yakima has many acres of strawberries and just developing fruit right now. 1980 - lost.
Now for me
, my direct "industry" connection was working in a rose greenhouse during those years. Imagine the effect that this event had on Memorial Day, graduations, and June weddings, just anything in the way of a celebration! Fortunately, Mother's Day had passed. Imagine also working in a "tunnel" of glass houses covered by ash ... until we could get it cleaned off ... and then the sun would break through the haze, the greenhouses would heat up so we'd open the vents, and ash would blow in ... I should have saved my shoes, bleached from walking in ash up to my ankles in roof gutters trying, trying and trying again to clear the ash from the glass houses. Koff
Personal gardening. I don't remember my gardening experience that year. I had a garden outside the greenhouses and lived there in my new mobile home. I didn't save ash from the acre of glass - it went to our very local landfill, across the driveway. So, the half inch that fell on my garden probably didn't make much difference as I was already committed to the deep cultivation of a BioIntensive approach. (Only compromised by olde age and a bad back, later.)
Steve
. The agricultural industry, and all things related, was complex even 40 years ago.Natural disaster. First of all, the ash wasn't evenly distributed. Here's a map from Wikipedia:
Despite my claim to being in the cross-hairs, I was up there east of Spokane. Some wheat, other grains, alfalfa, etc. But, look just a little ways south. That is some very important dryland wheat property and lots of ash. Fortunately, it was spring and also, the rains came in the following months. Here's a local newspaper looking back on that year: LINK
You will see from that article that even international relations played a part and equipment damage was a big problem but farmers mostly just plowed the ash in and planted their spring wheat. The soil scientist quoted pretty much discounted the fertilizer value.
Look back closer to the mountain on the map. Yakima and the surrounding area is an important agricultural area. For one thing, it is close to the urban centers of Seattle and Portland with some climate advantages. Mountain goes Boom! Once again, it was spring but some places had an enormous amount of ash. There is a lot of livestock processing in Yakima - you may have read about last year's C-19 outbreak in the meat packing plants. All those cows were outdoors during the eruption. Dairies, too. Spring alfalfa crops were devastated. A mess!
With my morning bowl of oatmeal, I had strawberries. Of course, they were ripe and from California. Yakima has many acres of strawberries and just developing fruit right now. 1980 - lost.
Now for me
, my direct "industry" connection was working in a rose greenhouse during those years. Imagine the effect that this event had on Memorial Day, graduations, and June weddings, just anything in the way of a celebration! Fortunately, Mother's Day had passed. Imagine also working in a "tunnel" of glass houses covered by ash ... until we could get it cleaned off ... and then the sun would break through the haze, the greenhouses would heat up so we'd open the vents, and ash would blow in ... I should have saved my shoes, bleached from walking in ash up to my ankles in roof gutters trying, trying and trying again to clear the ash from the glass houses. KoffPersonal gardening. I don't remember my gardening experience that year. I had a garden outside the greenhouses and lived there in my new mobile home. I didn't save ash from the acre of glass - it went to our very local landfill, across the driveway. So, the half inch that fell on my garden probably didn't make much difference as I was already committed to the deep cultivation of a BioIntensive approach. (Only compromised by olde age and a bad back, later
.)Steve
ducks4you
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I remember the interviews of people who lived on the side of the mountain and refused to leave when it was just rumbling.
I ALSO remember how the climate activists said nothing would return to normal for a generation, yet there was great healing and clean rivers 5 years later.
I ALSO remember how the climate activists said nothing would return to normal for a generation, yet there was great healing and clean rivers 5 years later.
