St. Helens

The film centers on the events leading up to the cataclysmic 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington, with the story beginning on the day volcanic activity started on March 20, 1980, and ending on the day of the eruption, May 18, 1980. On that fateful day, geologist David Jackson (David Huffman) monitors a massive bulge on the north face of Mount St. Helens as his friend Otis Kaylor (Ron O'Neal), a helicopter pilot, prepares to fly out with a group of loggers. As the eruption unfolds, Jackson's love life blossoms with Linda Steele (Cassie Yates). Meanwhile, 83-year-old Harry Truman (Art Carney) defies orders and stays on his property, leading to tragic consequences for both men. The film ends with a poignant scene of a small tree growing amidst the barren landscape of the North Fork Toutle River valley.