Mount St. Helens Creation Information Center

Lloyd and Doris Anderson started the museum that is now known as the Mount St. Helens Creation Center to share the impact of the volcano that transformed Washington state.

On March 15^th, 1980, a series of earthquakes began, followed by avalanches, fractures, and ash clouds. Then, it appeared to stop on May 16^th, and the area residents started demanding to return to the area.

On May 18^th at 8:32 am, an earthquake measuring 5.1 struck, followed by the largest landslide in recorded history moving at over 110 miles per hour for up to 13 miles, destroying 185 miles of highway.

The eruption came with over 1,000 times the force of the atomic bomb, spreading ash over parts of twelve states, causing over a billion dollars of damage.

The catastrophe quickly changed the earth’s surface in a radical way – in a manner that conflicted with the concept of uniformitarianism, “the theory that changes in the earth’s crust during geological history have resulted from the action of continuous and uniform processes.” (Oxford Languages) in favor of catastrophism, “the theory that changes in the earth’s crust during geological history have resulted chiefly from sudden violent and unusual events.” (ibid).

Creationists have pointed to the Mount St. Helens’ eruption as an illustration of the power of a single incident like Noah’s Flood to radically alter the surface of the earth.

Since 2014, the Center has been operated by Paul and Geri Taylor. Born near Manchester in England, Paul was exposed to Creation Science in a Christian bookstore, and taught for almost twenty years in the public schools, while speaking and writing on Creation and apologetics. Taylor has worked for Answers in Genesis and Creation Today prior to joining the Mount St Helens Creation Center.

Featured Image Credit: “Mount Saint Helens Creation Center.” Mount Saint Helens Creation Center, www.mshcreationcenter.org.