Landslide near Mount St. Helens in Washington strands drivers overnight after washing out roadway
Several people who had been visiting Mount St. Helens were trapped overnight when the slide occurred but were able to be rescued on Monday.
Mudslide stranded drivers as road washed away near Mount St. Helens
The King County Sheriff’s Office Air Support Unit rescued drivers and hikers stranded during a mudslide near Mt St. Helens on Monday. Deputy Anthony Mullinax was one of the pilots involved in the aerial rescue and he joined FOX Weather to talk about the rescue effort.
COWLITZ COUNTY, Wash. – A large section of highway leading to and from Mount St. Helens in Washington State was washed away by a mudslide stranding several people overnight Sunday into Monday.
Man and his dog rescued after landslide near Mount St. Helens
Washington State resident Ryan Crandall and his dog Nalu became trapped after a massive landslide washed away parts of a highway road near Mount St. Helens in Washington State earlier this week. Crandall joined FOX Weather to share his experience and photographs of the volcano.
According to reports, the Washington State Department of Transportation was at the location of the washed-out section of SR 504, known locally as the Spirit Lake Highway, on Monday to assess the damage.
Mt. St. Helens Eruption in 1980
As part of FOX Weather's Storm Survivors series, we're looking back at stories told from those who managed to survive nature's most significant events.
Photos from the scene showed copious amounts of mud, rocks and other debris that destroyed the roadway, stranding the drivers.
![Drivers were stranded overnight near Mount St. Helens in Washington State after a mudslide washed away part of a highway.]()
Image 1 of 4Drivers were stranded overnight near Mount St. Helens in Washington State after a mudslide washed away part of a highway. (Cowlitz County Safety Feed/Facebook)
![Drivers were stranded overnight near Mount St. Helens in Washington State after a mudslide washed away part of a highway.]()
Image 2 of 4Drivers were stranded overnight near Mount St. Helens in Washington State after a mudslide washed away part of a highway. (Cowlitz County Safety Feed/Facebook)
![Drivers were stranded overnight near Mount St. Helens in Washington State after a mudslide washed away part of a highway.]()
Image 3 of 4Drivers were stranded overnight near Mount St. Helens in Washington State after a mudslide washed away part of a highway. (Cowlitz County Safety Feed/Facebook)
![Drivers were stranded overnight near Mount St. Helens in Washington State after a mudslide washed away part of a highway.]()
Image 4 of 4Drivers were stranded overnight near Mount St. Helens in Washington State after a mudslide washed away part of a highway. (Cowlitz County Safety Feed/Facebook)
WSDOT warned drivers in a tweet to avoid the area near milepost 45 near Coldwater Lake due to the significant damage caused by the mudslide.
Several people who had been visiting Mount St. Helens were trapped overnight when the slide occurred but were able to be rescued on Monday.
Photos posted by the King County Sheriff’s Office Air Support Unit showed another view of the devastation from the air.
They were called in to help those who were trapped near the mudslide.
In a tweet, the KCSOASU said they safely evacuated 12 people and a dog from the area.
360995 05: A cloud of ash covers a mountaintop May 22, 1980 in Washington State. On May 18, 1980, an earthquake caused a landslide on Mount St. Helens'' north face, taking off the top of the mountain and triggering an eruption that killed 57 people, wiped out river valleys and destroyed enough trees to build 300,000 homes. (Photo by John Barr/Liaison)
(Getty Images)
Thursday marks the 43rd anniversary of Mount St. Helens’ 1980 eruption.
The blast on May 18, 1980, is the worst volcanic eruption in U.S. history, killing 57 people and spewing 520 million tons of ash across the country.