I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980

I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980 is a middle grade chapter book by popular American author Lauren Tarshis. This book is part of the author’s popular I Survived series, which follows fictitious young protagonists who survive a broad range of historical emergencies and disasters. In this novel, 11-year-old Jessie “Jess” Marlow is hiking near Mount St. Helens in Washington state when the volcano suddenly erupts. As she and her companions struggle to survive falling ash, avalanches of mud, and falling trees, they must draw upon The Power of Friendship and use quick thinking to deal with The Unpredictability of Nature and demonstrate Courage in Times of Crisis. 

This guide refers to the Kindle edition.

Content Warning: Both the source text and this guide contain descriptions of injuries, death, and natural disasters.

Plot Summary

Jessie “Jess” Marlowe and her best friends, the twins Eddie and Sam Rowan, are hiking near Mount St. Helens when it suddenly erupts, unleashing a torrent of hot wind, toxic ash, and mudslides in their direction. 

The narrative shifts back in time to eight weeks earlier, to Jess’s first visit to the same spot on the mountain with Eddie and Sam. On the way there, she and her friends debate whether the legendary “Skeleton Woman,” who supposedly lives on the mountain and hunts children, is real. Jess, Eddie and Sam agree to hike into the woods to Skeleton Woman’s alleged shack and take a picture of it for their classmates. Jess brings her dad’s camera along to take the picture. 

When Jess, Eddie, and Sam arrive at Mount St. Helens, they are nervous but excited as they set off into the woods with Jess’s camera. As they hike, Jess reflects on past experiences with her father, who has since died. Her dad always loved nature and wanted to be a photographer, but because he ran a diner in the small town of Cedar, he never found enough time to pursue his dream. Soon, Jess, Eddie and Sam arrive at the creepy, broken-down shack and work up the courage to go inside. When they do, Jess is relieved that Skeleton Woman is not there, but just as she is about to take a photo, the ground begins shaking, and she drops her dad’s camera. Terrified, the three children flee the cabin.

They run down the trail together and are reunited with Mr. Rowan. They also meet Dr. Timothy Morales, a seismologist who explains that they have just experienced an earthquake. He reveals his opinion that Mount St. Helens will erupt in the near future. Later, Jess, Eddie, Sam and their parents to visit with Dr. Morales at Jess’s family diner in Cedar. Dr. Morales teaches them about Mount St. Helens, explaining that although it has been dormant for generations, it is now showing signs that it will soon erupt. An eruption will release mudslides, lava flows, and a wave of hot air called the pyroclastic surge.

Dr. Morales tells everyone about the most destructive volcanic eruption of the 20th century: Mount Pelée. He says that the tiny island country of Martinique was devastated by this unexpected eruption, which killed 30,000 people. He believes that Mount St. Helens could erupt in a similar way, though with a smaller death toll. 

Reflecting on Mr. Morales’s story, Jess worries about the possibility of an eruption, and she is also upset that she lost her dad’s precious camera at the mountain shack. The surrounding towns around Mount St. Helens are now preparing for a possible eruption, and the police are preventing loggers and cabin owners alike from traveling to the mountain area. 

Soon, the mountain begins releasing steam, causing a frenzy of excitement. However, as the weeks pass, people begin to doubt whether it will really erupt. Meanwhile, Jess feels increasingly guilty over having left her dad’s camera lying in the shack, and she wants to go retrieve it.

One day, the Rowan twins visit Jess at the diner and reveal that the police are now allowing loggers and cabin owners to go back onto the mountain. Jess jumps at the chance to visit the shack with them again. The next morning, they all hike back to the shack and are surprised to find Jess’s dad’s camera, still wrapped neatly in her bag. On their way back down the trail, however, they smell a stink like rotten eggs and recognize it as sulfur, a sure sign of an eruption.

The sights and sounds of the volcanic eruption terrify the three friends as they behold a dark cloud of ash blocking the sunlight. Suddenly, a hot wave of air knocks them off their feet, and they scramble into a pit for protection. Huddling in the pit, they breathe through their shirts and wait for the ash to subside. After an hour has passed, it is light enough for Jess to see. She notices that the forest is gone, and only fallen logs remain. Eddie and Sam are too injured to move, so Jess decides to leave the pit alone and find help. She climbs out of the pit and tries to follow the old trail back to the cabin, but she soon gets lost. Fortunately, a helicopter flies overhead and picks her up, and together, they find Eddie and Sam.

Two months later, Jess is cleaning her new room in Seattle and reflecting on the dangerous eruption, which killed dozens of people. However, she is adjusting to her new life in Seattle, where her mother decided to make a fresh start. Eddie and Sam soon come for a visit, and the three friends are overjoyed to be reunited.