Echoes of Fury: The 1980 Eruption of Mount St. Helens and the Lives It Changed Forever

by Frank Parchman

Echoes of Fury follows eight people whose lives took unexpected turns on May 18, 1980, in the eruption of Mt. St. Helens. This is a story of fury and rebirth combining adventure, suspense, heart-break, and the thrill of scientific discovery.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, History

432 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2005

Reviews

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a huge fan of books that "follow people who were really there!" -- they tend to read more as storytime than nonfiction books. However, this one gives such great details, I assume thanks to the stories the survivors told Parchman, such as the sound of the steam coming up from the crater weeks later, and the feeling of walking on the lava or sinking in the ash.

I also enjoy the science he throws in, like explaining what caused the May 18 eruption and the timeline and devastation of the first few minutes (chapter 10). I also didn't know how active the volcano was for so long after the initial eruption. Most of us think of May 18 as THE day the mountain erupted, but it was really just the first big blast. More activity of various kinds followed for weeks, months, and years.

Plus, I appreciate the fact that this story defends many of the people who died on the mountain. Everyone who has a connection to the mountain knows David Johnston died because he was doing his job and Harry Truman died because he stubbornly refused to leave. But I didn't realize people died who were in areas that were considered safe (or at least not off-limits) at the time. So now I know. And I think that might be the greatest takeaway of this book: a defense of those who died for reasons not their fault.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

After hiking the mountain last year I was really interested in reading a bit more. I was young and living just east of the mountain when it erupted in 1980 and what I remember is nothing compared to the memories told in this book. I particularly enjoyed the discussions of the trial against Weyerhaeuser and the dredging of the Cowlitz river. Things I had never really considered before.

[Jjfisherjr · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to hear the human side of the eruption of Mount St. Helens, this might be the best book.

First off, other readers have complained about the jumping around from story to story without any obvious rhyme or reason. It didn't bother me as I knew to expect it. Just be patient as the threads will start to come together.

The author has gone to great length to establish the back stories of various people. He explains their motivations and how they ended up around the mountain. He follows their experiences during the eruption. But, most importantly, he follows them after the eruption as they began putting their lives back together.

The stories are not all about the survivors. There are many stories about the victims and the aftermath that has haunted their families and friends.

What touched a nerve with me was how then-Governor Dixie Lee Ray loudly blamed the victims and survivors for being reckless. She falsely accused them of being in the area illegally and insinuated that they got what they deserved. It was untrue. All of the people caught in or killed by the eruption were outside the official red zone. The only people killed within the red zone were there legally (two volunteer volcano watchers and Harry Truman).

This victim blaming has led to the mythology of daredevils and thrill seekers that slanders the memories of people who believed they were safely beyond the danger zone around Mount St. Helens.

To add insult to injury, ghouls stole personal items from the wrecked vehicles. In one instance, a car that a photographer was killed in was put on display in an impromptu private museum. One of the victims family spotted it and had the grim task of informing the dead man's sister about it. She learned that the car was not there with anyone's permission, in spite of the museum owner's claims.

What this book reveals is the best and worst of humanity. But, in spite of all the horror and injuries suffered, the family and survivors still found a way to move on. It is bittersweet but a hopeful note that the book ends on.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent story of what happened on Mount St. Helens prior to, on and after May 18, 1980. It is so well organized, and the writing is perfect. It reveals so much pain and heartache suffered by the survivors of the enormous blast on May 18th. And it sets the record straight, finally, that less than a handful of the fatalities were inside the Red Zone, which is NOT what was stated to the press on the days, weeks, months and even years after the eruption took 57 lives.
I don't give out many 5-star ratings; fact is, this is the first one I can recall in many a year. But if you are interested in volcanology, the history of Mount St. Helens, and especially, like me, were living in the Northwest (Eugene) when St. Helens awoke again, you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy and read it. It will be hard to put down and you will wish there was even a sequel.
My only wish is that the author had mentioned there were over 10,000 Deadheads in the Portland Memorial Coliseum watching the Grateful Dead open their second set with their song "Fire on the Mountain" as the mountain erupted at 9:20 p.m. and sent an ash cloud over Portland. I was one of the lucky ones to be at that infamous show.

[H. Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absorbing, alternatively heart-rending and frightening, sometimes infuriating, but never boring.

This book took me into the human aftermaths to a catastrophe. So many lives disrupted, and so much suffering on the part of those who barely escaped with their lives. Most of my reading in the past has been on the scientific and technical view of the eruption; this book reminded me that lives do not show up on a theodolite.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fascinating true story of eight people involved one way or another with the eruption of Mount St. Helens. The narration felt a little choppy trying to include all eight, but their stories complemented one another and it became clear later how they were interconnected. Main overall focuses of the narrative are how the disaster affected each person, the theme of grief/loss and renewal, and advances made in volcanology due to the scientific opportunity the eruption presented.

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well researched and very well written account of the Mt. ST. Helens tragedy and aftermath as told by survivors, victims, journalists and volcanologists. The government's and Weyerhaeuser's culpability are exposed as well. Highly recommend to anyone who is interested in the entire story you'll find nowhere else.

[Edward L · Rating 5 out of 5]

A personal look at peoples lives caught up in the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stories of victims and survivors of the May 18th, 1980 eruption of Mt. Saint Helens in Washington State, 40 years ago.

[dmt_reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Third time reading this book. What a great retrospective. Highly recommended.

[Dee Eisel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so very sad as I read this book. Parchman has drawn together stories of survivors and victims of Loowit, also known as Mt. St. Helens. (Now that Denali has his name back, maybe Loowit can regain hers as well!) There were so many mistakes made, and this expands on some of the stories I first learned in Volcano Cowboys: The Rocky Evolution of a Dangerous ScienceVolcano Cowboys and adds new ones.

For starters, the book covers week-by-week, then month-by-month, then year-by-year of the events affecting the survivors or the victims' families. We meet Venus Dergan and Roald Reitan, known to most who followed the event as the young lovers camping together. We meet Jim Scymanky. a logger in a group of four men, the only one to survive his burns, and follow his saga as he struggles to recover, both physically and mentally. Andre Stepankowsky, a reporter with the local newspaper, is drawn in right from the beginning. Dan Swanson I've met before, in Volcano Cowboys and other books on volcanism, and he is like an old friend. Daredevil Robert Rogers' story unfolds from his camping where he wasn't supposed to be onward. Peter Franzen is a grad student who had no idea the role the mountain would come to play in his life. And Donna Parker just loves her brother and at first is really glad he decided to go clamming instead of up the mountain - and you can see where that is going.

Parchman details labors of love and obsession. He talks about healing and those things which never do mend. He brings a bright light to shine on the human side of this, repeatedly making the point for those unaware that the vast majority of the casualties were well outside the danger zone drawn by Crandall and the other USGS volcanologists. More, he takes us far past the initial quieting-down of Loowit into the present day.

There's not any real hope in this book for so many of the people in it. Donna Parker is fighting to preserve the integrity of her brother's memory and possessions. Franzen had a wonderful experiment on recovery of nature after eruptions - gone at Weyerhauser's bulldozers. Dergan and Reitan never quite found themselves again, from what I can tell. Tourism still isn't back to what it was before Loowit's north side slid and uncorked her cryptodome, and the Forest Service was crippled by Reagan and so much of what was left is now able to be logged.

I'm glad I read it, because I always want to maintain sight of the human side of events. It's not a happy book, but I am the wiser for it.

Four of five stars.

[Resalo · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an unexpected amazing read this book was. I purchased this book in 2012 at one of the Mt St Helen's Observatories and it has sat on my shelf for 3+ years. It was only when I ran out of library books that I picked this up to read. This book is incredibly well researched and told in a way through the eyes of 8 Mt St Helen's survivors that it is hard to put the book down. Parchman recounts the riveting events surrounding the 1980 eruption through the narratives of the actual survivors, relatives of the victims and the geologists who knew the mountain intimately pre and post eruption. This book reveals the agony of the victims, the despair of the relatives and the disturbing politics that undoubtably led to the fact that so many perished in an area that was far outside the "restricted danger zone" established by local government. Coupled with this comes the realization that large timber companies contributed to many of the victims being in hazardous areas when they should have been restricted..all in the name of corporate profit and the drive to continue harvesting lumber at the expense of human lives. A must read for anyone interested in nature or history.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book when we went to Mount St Helens. I really enjoyed it! The part about the trial was a little slow and took me a few nights to get through, but the rest of the book was very enjoyable. It's very hard to imagine what these people went through on the day that Mount St Helens erupted with such fury.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a phenomenal book! If you love earth science and want to understand the 1980 eruption and volcano eruptions in general, this is your book. I highly recommend it! I had no idea the extent of the 1980 eruption until I read through this book.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know most of this history. Facinating read.