Who is at risk from volcanic eruptions in Washington state

As we safely watch the eruption of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano, five volcanoes in Western Washington pose a similar threat to thousands of people.

A big enough risk exists in the Northwest that the United States Geological Survey is pushing for better monitoring equipment.

On Monday, just days after the eruption in Hawaii, Central Pierce Fire & Rescue issued a statement that its county would be conducting its first test using new software in the initial phase in the county’s siren upgrade and expansion project.

PHOTOS: The Mount St. Helens eruption

Each of Washington state’s volcanoes have had a major eruption at some point in history. They include Mount St. Helens, Mount Baker, Glacier Peak, Mount Rainier, and Mount Adams. Adams is the only one that hasn’t recorded an eruption in the past 250 years.

Over the past 4,000 years, scientists say eruptions have occurred at an average rate of about two per century when factoring in Washington’s five volcanoes and the seven others in the Pacific Northwest.

After Kilauea erupted, Bill Steele with the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network told KIRO 7 that Mount St. Helens is due for another eruption, but on a smaller scale than that of May 18, 1980, when Helens erupted — killing 57 people, destroying hundreds of homes, and sending a plume of ash east across the state.

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According to the USGS, high-speed debris flows can create a path of destruction within approximately 10 miles of an eruption. Lahars can cause devastation of low-lying areas more than 50 miles away, according to the USGS.

The USGS has published a list of potential hazards from future activity from the major volcanoes in Washington state.

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