The Weather Channel(R) Commemorates 25th Anniversary of Mount St. Helens Eruption With Live Coverage and Half-Hour Special

The Weather Channel(R) Commemorates 25th Anniversary of Mount St. Helens Eruption With Live Coverage and Half-Hour Special

Hear Survivor Stories and Find Out How This Eruption Changed What We Know About Volcanoes

ATLANTA, May 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Twenty-five years ago Mount St. Helens, just 50 miles northeast of Portland, Oregon, exploded violently, killing 57 people, devastating the surrounding landscape, and creating clouds of ash that affected the atmosphere right around the globe. Could Mount St. Helens erupt again? What about nearby Mount Rainier, the picturesque volcano that dominates the Seattle landscape? To mark the 25th anniversary of the Mount St. Helens eruption, The Weather Channel will present a new half-hour Forecast Earth special entitled "Fire In The Mountain." In addition, meteorologist Mike Seidel will report live from Mount St. Helens on May 17th and on May 18th, the actual anniversary of the eruption.

"The eruption of Mount St. Helens was one of the defining historical events of the latter part of the 20th century in the United States, and it produced devastating effects on its immediate environment," said Patrick Scott, president of The Weather Channel Networks. "Through studying the impact of this eruption, scientists have learned a great deal about volcanoes and how they can affect our world, all of which fits with the mission of our Forecast Earth series - to promote better understanding of the ways in which earth's climate and environment affect our world."

"Fire In The Mountain," airing several times throughout the week of May 16th, looks at the science of Mount St. Helens' eruption, how it affected so many lives, and examines the potential for a future eruption.

The special will also focus on another jewel of the Cascade Mountains farther to the north, Mount Rainier. While many know it as one of the Northwest's most popular tourist attractions, relatively few realize that it is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the U.S. because of its proximity to such large population centers.

Leading up to the anniversary, The Weather Channel expands its coverage to include on-location reports and informational programming. Beginning May 17th, on-camera meteorologist Mike Seidel will report live from Mount St. Helens once an hour during Your Weather Today (7-9am ET), Afternoon Outlook (4-6pm ET), and Evening Edition (9-11pm ET). On May 18th, Seidel will expand his coverage into Day Planner (9am - noon ET) in order to provide live reports, including a special report at 11:32am ET (8:32am PT), the actual start of the eruption 25 years earlier.

The Weather Channel will also feature special segments examining the eruption of Mount St. Helens, looking at what happened that memorable day, the re-birth of the mountain and what it looks like today, and the experiences of those who survived the cataclysm.

* programming schedule below

Schedule:

"Fire In The Mountain" airs at the following dates and times:

Monday, May 16 at 7:00-7:30pm ET
Wednesday, May 18 at 9:00-9:30pm and midnight-12:30am ET
Thursday, May 19 at noon-12:30pm ET
Friday, May 20 at 7:00-7:30pm ET
Saturday, May 21 at 1:00-1:30pm and 4:00-4:30pm ET

Special live reports from Mount St. Helens and special segments will air
during the following times:

Tuesday, May 17 during 7:00-9:00am ET, 4:00-6:00pm ET, and 9:00-11:00pm
ET
Wednesday, May 18 during 9:00am-12:00pm ET

BACKGROUND
About The Weather Channel

The Weather Channel, a 24-hour weather network, is seen in over 88 million U.S. households. Its Web site, weather.com, reaches more than 25 million unique users per month. Its content is currently ranked the 11th most popular in the U.S. by Nielsen//NetRatings. The Weather Channel also operates Weatherscan, a 24-hour, all-local weather network distributed to almost 7 million households, The Weather Channel Radio Network, The Weather Channel Newspaper Services and is the leading weather information provider for emerging technologies. This includes broadband and interactive television applications, with wireless weather products accessible through high-speed Internet services, phones, pagers, Palm Pilots, and other personal digital assistants. The Weather Channel is owned by Landmark Communications, Inc., a Norfolk, VA-based, privately held media company.

Source: The Weather Channel

CONTACT: Matt Boyter of The Weather Channel, +1-770-226-2191, or
mboyter@weather.com

Web site: http://www.weather.com/

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