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I was at a pulp mill on the Oregon coast doing some consulting work that day.
Portland actually escaped the effects of the first eruption - we first got it a week or so later. The prevailing winds were from the W at the time and areas NE & E of the mountain took the brunt of the effects - I remember pictures of ash 6+ inches deep in the streets of Yakima & tri-cities.
It was pretty awesome - 3+ cubic miles of the mountain essentially evaporated in a matter of a few seconds. As you drive along I5 between Portland & Seattle you can still see some of the huge mounds of ash that were dredged from the Columbia River to reopen the shipping channel.
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