longer.blue

June 24, 1981 Since its emplacement during last October's explosive eruption, the dome inside Mount St. Helens's crater has grown to 300-400 feet high and 1,200 feet wide. That figure stands to grow after last week's low-intensity building event — further expanding its footprint, now larger than Seattle's Kingdome. Oh, you want an example that's still around in 2026? Another dome, the one in New Orleans, could fit comfortably inside our volcanic one at this point. Downvalley to the west, business owners like Stan Lee and Clara Ottosen are waiting for tourists to arrive, but the crowds aren't showing up. Most attribute it to rainy weather washing away clear views and dry conditions. "It's been lousier than a #@#," Kid Valley gas station owner Stan Lee tells The Daily News. "That rain is really killing us." It's not just the rain that's sending visitors elsewhere. Even today, officials were warning visitors not to make the trip up Highway 504 to Kid Valley, as fears of Coldwater Lake bursting its barrier may not allow enough time for an evacuation of low-lying areas — for example, Maple Flat, where the Buried A-Frame and souvenir stand are also seeing fewer visitors than expected. Until the Army Corps of Engineers is able to carve a channel for Coldwater Lake later in the fall, better safe than sorry. "The way I and a lot of people in law enforcement feel is that until the spillway is built, Maple Flat isn't a safe area," Cowlitz County Undersheriff Bill Stuart tells Tom Paulu of The Daily News. Sources: Eugene Register-Guard, June 24, 1981; Longview Daily News, June 24, 1981 (Tom Paulu, Marlon Villa).