Monday marks 46 years since Mount St. Helens eruption

(NBC, KYMA) - Monday, May 18, 2026 marks a somber anniversary for the Pacific Northwest and the country.

It was on that date 46 years ago that Mount St. Helens erupted in Washington state.

57 people were killed by the powerful eruption that also devastated some some 210 miles of wilderness in the Cascade Range.

A 5.1 earthquake was recorded just before the eruption that reduced the mountain's height by some 1,300 feet.

Ash from the volcano covered parts of 11 states and Canada, and caused more than $1 billion in damage.