Vegetation was destroyed all over the mountain. The animals left the mountain. Timber flowed down the mountain in the lava, landing in the lake at the bottom. The timber still floats in the lake known as Spirit Lake.

Most of the animal that left during the Mt. Saint Helens eruption have come back. The animals that live there now, are more plentiful than they were before the eruption. Restoration was heavily quickened by the coming of winter rains. As for the plants, they have slowly grown back. Not much can be done to help the plants grow back quickly.