He was found in his car 7 miles north of the mountain. For more information regarding the 57 people who were killed, please see my Eruption Victims page. Along with the loss of human life, it seemed the plants and animals in the area were almost completely wiped out as well. Millions of small game, fish, birds and insects were also in the path of the eruption. The areas nearest the mountain were completely stripped of topsoil by the lateral blast.
Nothing remains but bare rock.
Two weeks after the eruption when temperature measurements could safely be made, the pyroclastic deposits still averaged 650 degrees. Today, the pumice plan, a fan shaped area just below the crater, has been heavily eroded by wind and rain. Directly in the path of the huge landslide was Spirit Lake. Normally a chilly 42 degrees, the landslide instantly raised the temperature to near 100 degrees. As the mud and rock hit the lake, the intense temperatures and choking ash killed all of the life in the water.