Yes, it's been 40 years......Mt. St. Helens erupted at 8:32 am on May 18th, 1980.

Y-PAC,  Yakima's Public Affairs Channel has a busy morning planned to take us all back in time.

From a City News release:

At 8:32 am on Monday, May 18th, 2020, the Yakima Public Affairs Channel (Y-PAC) will mark the eruption’s 40th anniversary with special programming:

  • 8:32 am – Re-broadcasting local radio coverage from May 18th, 1980.(KIT?)
  • 11:01 am – “Mt. St. Helens 1980.” The program was recorded for the 20th anniversary and includes archival video footage of the eruption’s aftermath in Yakima.
  • 11:30 am – “Mt. St. Helens 40th Anniversary Special.” It features an interview with Dick Zais, former longtime City Manager of Yakima, who helped lead the City’s response to the Mt. St. Helens eruption.

“I think it was our finest hour in terms of really bringing together the community,” Zais said during the nearly 90-minute interview conducted via Zoom. “Neighbors and residents, alike, working together to be able to restore the City and bring it back.”

The special will also be available beginning at 8:30 am Monday on the City’s YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMN-BkOqbMA

  • 1:00 pm – “Yakima Agenda – Mt. St. Helens.” The program was recorded in 2010 for the eruption’s 30th anniversary. It features “Mt. St. Helens 1980,” followed by a discussion with reporters and local leaders recalling their experiences on May 18th, 1980.

Also at 8:32 am Monday, a special “Yakima Minute” episode will post to City of Yakima Twitter and Facebook platforms. It features a photo essay set to music that shows the eruption of Mt. St. Helens on May 18, 1980, as well as the immediate impact in Yakima. Photos courtesy Yakima Valley Museum.

Y-PAC programming can be found at Charter Spectrum Cable Channel 194.

The Y-PAC schedule for Monday, May 18th, with program links, can be found at https://videos.yakimawa.gov/CablecastPublicSite/schedule?channel=2&currentDay=2020-05-18

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