About Mt. Saint Helens & the History of Volcano Hazard Management in Washington State
Presented by William Lokey - Adventurer, Mountaineer, Emergency Manager and Polar Logistician
The May 18, 1980 eruption of Mt. Saint Helens was preceded by two months of earthquakes and steam-venting episodes, initiated by an injection of magma at shallow depth below the volcano that created a large bulge and a fracture system on the mountain's north face slope, ultimately resulting in the largest landslide in recorded history. Seconds later, the uncorked volcano exploded, blasting 1,300 feet off the top of the mountain, scattering ash across a dozen states and destroying everything in its path within minutes. A total of 57 people lost their lives in the catastrophe. It has often been declared the most disastrous volcanic eruption in U.S. history.
The experiences with Mt. Saint Helens added volcano mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery to the agenda of many emergency managers and responders. This presentation reviews the historical perspective on the strategies; lessons learned about response, recovery and best practices in volcano hazard management from the 1970s to present day.
It will cover experiences and issues with emergency preparedness, search and rescue, recovery, the development of public policy and land use planning, legal challenges, public education strategies, warning and evacuation planning and volcano monitoring and research. This includes a report on a 2014 climbing expedition to the summit of Rainier to descend into the fascinating ice cave network caused by the heat in the volcano’s crater.
From before those first rumblings of Mt. Saint Helens to current plans for volcanic activity at Mt. Rainier, join us for an exploration of the evolution of volcano hazard management strategies in Washington State.
About the Speaker:
William Lokey has enjoyed a 50-year career of travel and adventure, supporting science in the Polar Regions and helping communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from all kinds of disasters.
During his summers in college, (he has a degree in Sculpture from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio), he worked for the Juneau Icefield Research Program supporting student training and research programs. Later, he managed logistics and provided survival training for the US Antarctic Program, doing four tours, wintering over on three occasions. After Antarctica, William had a 40-year career in emergency management, working at the local, state, and federal levels and as a private sector consultant. He has managed preparedness, response, and recovery operations for hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, winter storms, volcanic eruptions, wildland fires, and terrorist attacks. He has shared his expertise throughout the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ecuador, Singapore, Thailand and Japan.
William has climbed mountains and led expeditions to peaks in the United States, Canada, France, Mexico, New Zealand, Antarctica, and Africa. Recently retired, he now enjoys travel, mountaineering, skiing, and sharing his experiences with schools, service clubs, cruise ships and other organizations.
