When Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declared the event a disaster as ash measuring a depth of 150 feet. The event killed 57 people and caused damage to infrastructures, homes, and crops in the region.
Gina de la Chesnaye summarizes in a mitigation brief the structural and non-structural mitigation strategies implemented to minimize the damages from the disaster. Short-term structural disaster management measures, such as clearing debris and building debris dams, were instituted. Due to the hazardous nature of the ash, a multi-agency disaster management plan was created, and each organization was tasked with different responsibilities. Household emergency kits were also recommended at the county level.