The Dust Bowl

1. The Dust Bowl

2. What is a Dust Bowl??!?? • The term “Dust Bowl” refers to the time period of agricultural devastation during the Great Depression. • The Dust Bowl occurred in the early 1930’s & ended in the early 1940’s. • A drought hit the Midwestern & Western states where many thought the Midwestern & Western states were blowing away. . . . . . . .

3. Why did this happen? • Poor farming methods used up many of the nutrients in the soil. • The overgrazing of cattle led to having less grass on the plains. • A long period of drought & high winds cause the top soil to start “blowing away”

4. What states were severely effected? • Texas • Oklahoma • Colorado • Kansas • New Mexico • Even though the states in yellow were not severely effected, they did suffer damage from the storms.

5. Black Sunday • April 14, 1935 • Dust storms turned day into night all over the Midwest & Western states. • Many people panicked & thought the world was coming to an end

6. How did people survive? • Many people moved West to California to look for work. • Houses had to be sealed or boarded up to avoid dust getting inside. • Fires were very common because the land was so dry. • Crops could not be grown due to lack of water.

7. How did people survive? • When people went outside they had to cover their nose & mouth to avoid dirt getting in their lungs • Dirt in lungs = pneumonia & other health problems • Can you guess how old the woman is in the picture…..?

8. Could You Imagine….

9. Sources • Paul Bonnefield. “The 1930’s Dust Bowl.” www.ptsi.net/user/museum/dustbowl.html. July 27, 2003. • Ingolf Veogler. The Great Plains. “The Dust Bowl.” www.usd.edu/anth/epa/dust.html. • “The Dust Bowl.” Dust Storm Damage. www.iaction.com/exemplar/media/lmap.htm