If Adams Erupts: A Catastrophic Threat to Life and Land

As Washington State approaches the 45th anniversary of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens on May 18, state officials are increasing monitoring of Mt. Adams after a series of earthquakes were recorded between September 2024 and January of this year.

STATE LEADERS ARE UPDATING PLANS GETTING PREPARED

That's prompted leaders around the state to call for updating evacuation plans for Mt. Adams which is one of the largest Cascade Range volcanoes. According to the Smithsonian Institution the mountain "dominates the the Mount Adams volcanic field in Washington's Skamania, Yakima, Klickitat, and Lewis counties and the Yakima Indian Reservation of S-central Washington."

WHEN WILL THE MOUNTAIN ERUPT???

If an eruption were to happen the experts say the biggest concerns would be large landslides and destructive lahars that pose the "most destructive, far reaching hazard."
Officials at the Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver say while there's been some activity on the mountain they have no way to say when it may erupt, which direction or how much ash will fall on surrounding communities and how long an eruption would last. But they say Mt. Adams is the volcano where the experts expect the next eruption to happen so the best thing they say the state can do is get prepared.

WHAT AREAS WOULD BE IMPACTED BY MUDFLOWS? HERES' THE ANSWER

If you lived through the ash fall from Mt. St. Helens you know how damaging that could be and how it could impact your daily life. If Mt. Adams does blow its top officials at Cascades Volcano Observatory say the large lahars, mud filled flows of rock, ash and ice would flow into populated areas like Trout Lake or parts of the Yakima Reservation possibly burying homes and businesses potentially causing deaths. They say the mountain would likely see the large flows rather than "explosive eruptions." All reasons why state officials are updating emergency plans for the mountain as we approach the 45th anniversary of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens.