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What Caused The Dust Bowl?
The time massive dust storms buried farms and ruined the heartland
During the 1930s, apocalyptic scenes played out across the American heartland. Giant dust storms would form and blow for miles. Entire farms would be covered in dust. Tractors would be buried. People huddled in their houses as the wind howled and dirt made its way through the cracks, covering everything in a fine coat of grime. It seems hard to imagine such a thing taking place today, but these storms were a massive problem, and they helped prolong the Great Depression.
These storms destroyed crops and ruined important machinery. It sent farmhands, cowboys, and laborers fleeing for the coasts. People would hop on rolling trains and try to make their way to literally greener pastures. From Texas to South Dakota, Iowa to Kansas, these massive plumes of dust dominated the news cycle and depressed moods and wages for thousands of Americans. They lent their name to this period, which is known as the Dust Bowl.
But what caused such a freakish event? How did massive storms that looked more like Egyptian haboobs appear in the United States?
The answer is multifaceted. It was a combination of factors that created the perfect storm of dust and misery.
