I think it's ridiculous to worry about something like that. But in my Geo 101 class at UW they went over just how fucked we'd be if it did blow...and we'd be pretty fucked. Mostly because of mudslides knocking everything over and then solidifying. Pretty awesome. I seem to remember noting that everywhere from roughly downtown northwards wouldn't be very damaged. So: hurray!

What would I do if Rainier blew?

Die. I live right in the path of the main historic lahar flow.

How do people stand living where there are tornadoes every freaking day during the season, that's what I wonder about.

Not as worried about it given my location, but as Kip points out, the threat of earthquakes is a problem. Given that l live on the bottom floor of my apartment building on the side of a hill, l'm fairly sure that it will slide right into Lake Union and take me with it if l'm home when the big one hits. ln which case l will hope for reincarnation, and that my cat escapes the carnage.

If Mt Rainier blew I'd enjoy the show, silently accept through subverting my ego that all my wants are nothing, and try to enjoy every last sandwich and kiss as the wall of mud, trees, rocks dead people and crushed SUV's rocketed towards me.

And this is from someone actively seeking to move closer, if not significantly closer to the mountain. Shit, what can you/could you do?

Factually, if the glaciers were melted quickly from a lahar event my understanding is that it could hit SODO/downtown via the sound and Duwamish, possibly with >30 minutes notice. Pretty cool!
One in the White River canyon coming off Rainier left a 460 foot deep mud flat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahar

I used to have terrible anxiety about natural disasters happening, but now that I've increased the meds I feel much less worried. Worry won't do any good anyway. If huge natural disasters happen you just have to figure out what to do at the time. There really is no sense in worrying. The exception would be if they told people to evacuate, like they did around Mt. St. Helen's before it blew. Then you could worry and get the hell out instead of staying and getting buried alive like some people did. I still remember that one old guy--his name was Harry Truman I think. Well, he died with the mountain he loved, but he chose to stay.

I live in Olympia....what are the chances of us being trampled by the mountains lava?
Yes i do worry.

Nah. Of course, I don't live in the Kent Valley. South sound will get buried in mud...

Like other responders, my concern is with earthquakes...

My fears of Mt. Rainier pale in comparison to those of the Yellowstone Caldera's long overdue explosion.

Also, we're sitting pretty much on top of a fault that's looooooong overdue for a rather massive slip.

Between the uberquake on its way and the sun-blocking/Earth-fucking Yellowstone possibility, Rainier is laughable.

That said I certainly would never live under it.