Mount St. Helens, located in Washington, is probably the best known active volcano in the United States. The 1980 eruption was the most serious, in terms of lives lost and economic damage, in U.S. history.

Although far less damaging, the mountain has erupted as recently as 2008. It is not surprising then that people, especially those who live near the mountain, get nervous when it shows signs of activity. However, no eruption is imminent and it could be a very long time before anything happens, according to the agencies charged with monitoring volcanic activity.

In the Cascade Volcano Authority’s (CVO) weekly update, the agency states that all volcanos in the Cascade region of Washington and Oregon are displaying normal seismicity.

“All the volcanoes were relatively quiet seismically and exhibited only typical background activity. The stage on regional rivers, which had been elevated owing to storms, has been slowly but steadily declining. The Cascades Volcano Observatory issued an information statement on 30 April 2014 summarizing geodetic- and seismological evidence for re-pressurization of the magma reservoir beneath Mount St. Helens since 2008. There is no evidence to suggest that this re-pressurization portends an imminent eruption,” reads the statement.

“The balloon has inflated, and it could stay inflated for decades. What we can say, is when it is ready to erupt, we will know,” the CVO’s Seth Moran told Live Science.

According to the CVO’s website, current volcanic monitoring relies on a variety of sensitive instruments placed in and around active volcanos. However, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has proposed a new early warning system which they believe would be a significant upgrade.

According to the USGS, the National Volcano Early Warning System (NVEWS) would “ensure that volcanoes are monitored at levels commensurate to their threats.” The plan calls for adding additional staff, automation and upgraded technology starting with the most active and dangerous volcanoes. Additional information on the plan is available at pubs.usgs.gov.