Disasters of the Northwest

Disasters both natural and accidental have marked the Northwest. More than just curiosities, these stories chronicle events and personal experiences of people who have faced tragedy and loss with courage and an indomitable spirit. Sometimes sad and often inspiring, our stories are always worth knowing about:

It's hard to imagine how a bucket of glue could bring down an entire city, but in 1889, Seattle's bustling business district ground to a blazing halt

Harry Truman, owner of Spirit Lake Lodge in Washington, might have had just enough time to turn around and see the eruption of Mount St. Helens before the hot ash buried both him and his lodge

The largest mine disaster in Idaho's history killed 91 miners when a fire broke out in the Sunshine Mine in May 1972

In 1959, you could park a cargo truck packed with 6.5 tons of explosive materials on a city street and not get so much as a ticket, even if it blew up, as the citizens of Roseburg, Oregon, can testify

In 1949, when Lowell Elementary School in Tacoma shook from a magnitude 7.1 earthquake, an 11-year-old boy saved another child and gave up his own life

During World War II, few people knew that the Japanese attacked the United States mainland numerous times from 1942 to 1945, including one attack that proved deadly.

And so many more incredible, important and true Disasters of the Northwest.