Mount Rainier, though beautiful, presents a major problem to the area around the Puget Sound. This includes the metropolitan area of Seattle, Tacoma, Olympus, Puyallup, and their suburbs. The problem is the threat of volcanic disaster. The purpose of this project was to look into the potential volcanic hazards to the area and the preparedness of the area in response to an eruption. This was done by looking at the history of the mountain, past eruptions, and emergency management plans in place. To predict an eruption now, the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption was looked at for comparison. Research on the mountain included a field trip to the area to see rock formations and tephra layers from past eruptions. It was concluded that Mount Rainier is still active and has the power to wreak havoc and destruction on the Puget Sound area. The area is not prepared in the event of a major eruption. With plans in place now, the area could effectively handle minor eruptions and mudslides affecting the immediate area but not the devastating maximum event
