The Dust Bowl is an area of land where plants stop growing and soil turns into dust, mainly caused by poor farming techniques. In 1931, the midwestern and southern plains began experiencing severe droughts and crop damages. These crop damages were caused by “black blizzards.” A black blizzard is when the soil dried, then turned to dust and blew to the east and south in large dark clouds. Dust storms were caused by drought and overused land. In some places the dust would drift like snow, covering cities and farms. These dark clouds would leave well sealed homes covered in dust. By 1932, there were fourteen dust storms reported.
In 1933 when Franklin Roosevelt became president, he declared a four­day bank holiday.
During this time, the Congress …show more content…
These banks were needed to be opened because the Great Depression was happening during the Dust Bowl. $200 million for refinancing mortgages to help farmers facing foreclosure was given. In September of 1933 cotton goods,apples, beans, canned beef, flour and pork products were given through local relief channels. In October of 1933, thousands of farmers and cotton workers went on strike, fleeing the plains.
By May of 1934, dust storms spread from the Dust Bowl region, creating the worst drought the United States has ever had in history. The drought affected 27 states. Millions of acres of land have been destroyed of their topsoil. The soil has historical damage that cannot be undone. More land was rapidly losing their precious topsoil. The Great Plains have been turned into a desert.

In 1935 this harsh situation turned so serious that the government made special programs to change farming techniques. Techniques such as strip cropping, terracing, crop rotation, contour plowing, and cover crops were recommended. Another new solution was to plant a new set of crops. Wheatgrass was a new crop planted, which is from Russia.
After these changes, …show more content…
People were fleeing Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas to avoid any other future problems there. Moving to California was the dream of many people, for the opportunity of a new job and environment. The Dust Bowl created major economic downfalls. People could not afford to buy goods that farmers were producing, making them lower prices to be able to sell anything. Farm families made a lower income then the average American family at this time.
During the Dust Bowl, chickens were laying eggs in the middle of the day because the dust storms made it so dark. Vehicles would move from where they were parked. Seeds would come out from the ground. It was nearly impossible to keep your house clean. Dust covered food and clothes. These were just some of the mishaps of the Dust Bowl.
Now that the Dust Bowl is over, the air is more clear. There were people who suffocated from all the dust. Survivors of the Dust Bowl now have bad long term health conditions from inhaling the dust. There are reports of people having sinus and lung issues. A disease called dust pneumonia formed where people would not be able to stop coughing. This has caused