The Dust Bowl

The Dust Bowl lasted from 1934 to 1937 and it was also called “Dirty Thirties”. It was located in the Great Plains region in the USA which consisted of Oklahoma,Texas, Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico. The storm was so bad it wrecked and destroyed everything it came in contact with. About 60 percent of the people fled and traveled west. By the time 1940 had come 2.5 million people had left the regions affected by the Dust Bowl. The jet stream played a big role in Dust bowl. Cooler than normal tropical Pacific Ocean temperatures and warmer than normal tropical Atlantic Ocean temperatures contributed to a weakened low level jet stream and changed its course. The jet stream normally flows westward over the Gulf of Mexico and then turns northward pulling up moisture and dumping rain onto the Great Plains. But during the 1930s the low level jet stream weakened, carrying less moisture, and shifted further south. The Great Plains land dried up and dust storms blew across the U.S. Another reason is because during World War 1 farmers grew more crops for military troops. In order to make more space for the crops the farmers plowed and tore the grass that kept the soil stable. As soon as the drought hit and there was no more water the soil turned to sand. Since the soil lacked a strong root system of grass as an anchor the winds easily picked up the loose topsoil and swirled it around into dense dust clouds, which are known as “black blizzards.” The exact number of deaths from the Dust Bowl remains unknown but some sources suggests hundreds, even thousands, of Plains residents died from exposure to dust. Alexandre Hogue was a famous painter who painted during this time period and showed others what he saw through his paintings.