when did mount saint helens erupted

Mount St. Helens’ most famous and catastrophic eruption occurred on May 18, 1980, at about 8:32 a.m. local time in Washington State.

Quick Scoop: Key Facts

• Major explosive eruption date: May 18, 1980.

• Time: Around 8:32 a.m. Pacific time, triggered by a magnitude 5.1 earthquake and a massive landslide on the volcano’s north flank.

• Impact: Considered one of the most powerful eruptions in U.S. history, killing 57 people and destroying vast forested areas.

Was That the Only Eruption?

Mount St. Helens is an active volcano with many eruptions in its history. The 1980 blast was the most destructive, but not the only one.

• Activity ramp-up: Small eruptions and steam explosions began in March 1980 after earthquakes signaled magma moving upward.

• After May 18: Several additional eruptions occurred in 1980 (for example, May 25, July 22, and October 16–18), building lava domes and sending ash high into the atmosphere.

• Longer history: The volcano has erupted dozens of times over thousands of years, including notable eruptions around 1480, 1482, and 1800, plus a minor eruption in 1857.

If You’re Just After the Short Answer

If your question is simply “When did Mount Saint Helens erupt?” people almost always mean the big one: it erupted catastrophically on May 18, 1980.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.