I don’t remember too much about this the day when it happened. I think more of the news was I paid attention to was the aftermath, namely how all those people died because they chose not to evacuate. The eruption did have a slight effect on the weather in Illinois, like it being more overcast for a couple days.
Truthfully, my brain was pre-occupied with school ending in a couple weeks, I would be turning 12 over the Summer and The Empire Strikes Back was coming to theaters. Something happening on the West Coast wasn’t too much on my mind. I know I couldn’t wait for sixth grade with Ms. Tolan to end. She made it a living hell and was the most incompetent grade school teacher I’ve had the misery to know. That witch was better suited for a job as a truant officer due to her incompetence and hatred of children.
I don’t recall anyone being worried or scared. Mount St. Helens was no Krakatoa and even as I kid, I had recent memories of volcanoes going off in Italy, Hawaii and Mexico without any concern.
Still, it was interesting to have something like it happen on the Main 48 of America. Today the volcano lies dormant, probably waiting to go off again in the 2070s to 2090s which I think is the time table for most of them. Climate Change could make it sooner or later, not sure which. Given the particulate matter volcanoes eject blocks sunlight and has a cooling effect, maybe it’s something we’d like in reasonable amounts.