What was the most destructive volcanic eruption in the history of the United States? <!-- volcano -->
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Question:
What was the most destructive volcanic eruption in the history of the United States?
Answer:
The May 18, 1980 eruption of
Mount St. Helens (Washington)
was the most
destructive in the history of the United States.
Novarupta (Katmai) Volcano , Alaska,
erupted considerably more material in 1912, but owing to the
isolation and sparse population of the region affected, there were no human
deaths and little property damage. In contrast, Mount St. Helens' eruption
in a matter of hours caused loss of lives and widespread destruction of
valuable property, primarily by the
debris avalanche, the
lateral blast, and the
mudflows.
-- From: Tilling et.al., 1990, The Eruptions of Mount St. Helens:
Past, Present, and Future: USGS Information Publication.
