Managing public and media response to a reawakening volcano: lessons from the 2004 eruptive activity of Mount St. Helens

Volcanic eruptions and other infrequent, large-scale
natural disturbances pose challenges and opportunities for
public-land managers. In the days and weeks preceding an
eruption, there can be considerable uncertainty surrounding
the magnitude and areal extent of eruptive effects. At the same
time, public and media interest in viewing developing events
is high and concern for public safety on the part of local land
managers and public safety officials is elevated. Land managers and collaborating Federal, State, and local officials must
decide whether evacuations or restrictions to public access are
necessary, the appropriate level of advance preparation, and
how best to coordinate between overlapping jurisdictions. In
the absence of a formal Federal or State emergency declaration, there is generally no identified source of supplemental
funding for emergency-response preparation or managing
extraordinary public and media response to developing events.
In this chapter, we examine responses to escalating events that
preceded the 2004 Mount St. Helens eruption and changes in
public perception during the extended period of the largely
nonexplosive, dome-building eruption that followed. Lessons
learned include the importance of maintaining up-to-date
emergency-response plans, cultivating close working relationships with collaborating agencies, and utilizing an organized
response framework that incorporates clearly defined roles and
responsibilities and effective communication strategies.