Theirs is a story of charity, ingenuity and community in the face of a bizarre natural disaster. Vast dark cloud races east Most Washingtonians never heard the blast, nor experienced the mudflows. To them, Mount St. Helens will be remembered for the massive cloud that quickly darkened much of Washington and eventually parts of 10 other states. The cloud rained ash as far away as North Dakota. It continued eastward, where it was detected along the eastern seaboard two days later.
Scientists say traces of that mountain drifted around the globe for weeks, even years.
The volcanic storm billowed over the ridge south of town, spewing spikes of light and ashen mudballs the size of pencil erasers. As the ash fell, Morton Police Chief Jody Ulery grabbed a phone and dialed state officials in Olympia. The town took on a ghostly pall. Some people jumped in cars and tried to outrun the ash, but most stood and gazed in awe. Before 10 a.m. the cloud had crested the Cascades and was racing toward Yakima at 60 mph.