Tiny pocket gophers, whose burrows had served as bomb shelters, emerged to dig new holes and churn up fresh soil. Twenty years later, a forested valley that was transformed into a flat expanse of rubble is now a patchwork of wetlands and plains, home to bright green Pacific chorus frogs, red-winged blackbirds, elk and coyotes. The air is heavy with alder pollen and fir trees sprout everywhere. As more plants like the purple lupine flower and orange fireweed sprout, rebirth gathers momentum. The area should be fully renewed within 100 years, a blip in geological time.
Scientists continue to monitor the volcano.
Sensors track minor earthquakes, constant reminders of the mountain's active core. The volcano is unlikely to erupt anytime soon, but scientists hope that by studying the mountain's history and rumblings they can predict the next time it will erupt. It could be decades. It could be 100 years. The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.