Catastrophic volcano could soon erupt on the Pacific Northwest and kill tens of thousands in just 30 minutes

Experts say it is only a matter of time until Mount Rainier, one of the most dangerous volcanos in the US, unleashes itself upon the Pacific Northwest. The 1980 eruption of Mount Saint Helens, located in Washington just 50 miles from Mount Rainier, also produced a dangerous lahar that destroyed more than 200 homes, over 185 miles of roads and contributed to the total death toll of 57 people. These tragic events have helped scientists better understand the threat that lahars pose to human communities around active volcanoes, and experts are currently preparing for the terrifying possibility of a lahar forming at Mount Rainier. A child floats in muddy water after being caught in the lahar that was triggered by the 1985 eruption of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano in Columbia A village on Indonesia's Java Island was inundated by a lahar after the Semeru volcano erupted in 2022 The 1980 eruption of Washington's Mount Saint Helens also produced a dangerous lahar that destroyed more than 200 homes, over 185 miles of roads and contributed to the total death toll of 57 people Over the last 20 years, scientists have been upgrading and expanding lahar monitoring stations around this volcano, collectively known as The Mount Rainier Lahar Detection System. For example, On March 21, 2024, more than 45,000 students in communities south of Seattle and west of Mount Rainier participated in the world’s largest lahar evacuation drill, according to the USGS.