Natural Disaster Showdown

So after 24 years, Mount Saint Helens is going to erupt again. That's awesome. The news around here can't stop talking about it. It figures that way, since it doesn't happen very often and as far as natural disasters go, the Pacific Northwest is not what you would call a hot-bed of activity. Kansas? Yeah, they got all their trailer park munching tornadoes. Florida? Hurricane season is apparently in full swing. California? They've got the massive and frequent earthquakes. Texas? Texans. Chicago? Snow storms. Canada? French Canadians. Up here we get the occasional tremor, but the big threat is supposed to be either a big tsunami from the Pacific Ocean or the range of active volcanoes we live on top of.

It's great that the Pacific Northwest is getting in on the natural disaster bonanza going on in our country. We're ready to step it up a notch. You want a natural disaster? I'll give you a natural disaster! Now, just wait for it. Wait for it... look, the lava flows moved 3 centimeters... any time now you're going to be ankle deep in ash! Snap! Take that, Florida!

They are seriously saying that it's ready to go at any moment, but they don't know for sure how big it will be. Right now, the Mike Douglas Foundation and the rest of the science-friendly community is predicting it'll be a simple smoke & steam blow-off. Which is referred to as "shock and awe" by our presiding government.

To really get people moving around here, Rainier would have to blow up -- big time. A lava flow right in to downtown Seattle would get the attention of a few folks. Death and mayhem in a burning city. I'm sure Starbucks would still find a way to cash in on it.