Whereas, on May 18, 1980, at 8:32 a.m. Pacific Daylight
Time, the volcano of Mount St. Helens erupted, changing its elevation from
9,677 feet to 8,363 feet;
Whereas the eruption was triggered by an earthquake of
magnitude 5.1 approximately 1 mile beneath the volcano;
Whereas the lateral blast covered an area approximately
230 square miles and reached as far as 17 miles northwest of the crater;
Whereas the velocity of the blast was estimated to be at
least 300 miles per hour;
Whereas the pyroclastic flows covered 6 square miles,
reached temperatures of 1,300 degrees Fahrenheit, and moved at speeds between
50 and 80 miles per hour;
Whereas, as a result of the eruption, over 4,000,000,000
board-feet of timber was blown down, which is enough material to build about
150,000 homes;
Whereas volcanic ash clouded the sky above eastern
Washington, reached the east coast of the United States in 3 days, and
eventually circled the globe in 15 days;
Whereas the eruption claimed the lives of 57 people;
and
Whereas tens of thousands of animals perished: Now,
therefore, be it
That the Senate—
(1)recognizes the
25th Anniversary of the eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 2005;
(2)acknowledges the
importance of monitoring all 169 volcanoes in the United States and its
territories;
(3)recognizes the
invaluable work of the Department of the Interior, the United States Geological
Survey, the United States Forest Service, the Directorate of Emergency
Preparedness and Response of the Department of Homeland Security, and the
Cascade Volcano Observatory in monitoring the activities of Mount St.
Helens;
(4)acknowledges the
progress in science that has led to a more comprehensive understanding of
volcanology, seismology, and plate tectonics, thus enhancing the ability to
predict volcanic activity and eruptions; and
(5)supports
monitoring volcanoes and helping to develop emergency response plans to ensure
that the people and communities of the United States are safe.