Mount St. Helens, situated in southwestern Washington State within the Cascade Range, a volcanic mountain range, erupted on Sunday morning, May 18, 1980. This catastrophic event dramatically altered the landscape, triggering a lateral blast that caused the north face of the mountain to collapse in a massive rock debris avalanche. This event devastated an area spanning over 150 square miles, resulting in the loss of 57 lives. Nearly 150 square miles of forest were either blown over or left standing as dead tree burned by the pyroclastic flow of hot ash and gases leaving an indelible mark on the region’s landscape.