On this day in 1980: The U.S. Geological Survey issued an official hazard watch for Mount St. Helens at 8AM. Later that day the mountain would start its first eruption in over a century. See more on Make It Out Alive: Mount St. Helens: http://bit.ly/2UMWPNq | Smithsonian Channel Aviation Nation

Some of the most breathtaking photos of the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens were taken by a graduate student camped nearby. Even more impressive, he took them while trying to outrun the enormous landslide. 🎥Make It Out Alive | Smithsonian Channel Aviation Nation