What happened in 1934 during the Dust Bowl?
On May 11, 1934, a massive storm sends millions of tons of topsoil flying from across the parched Great Plains region of the United States as far east as New York, Boston and Atlanta.
What caused the Dust Bowl that affected Oklahoma in the 1930s?
Crops began to fail with the onset of drought in 1931, exposing the bare, over-plowed farmland. Without deep-rooted prairie grasses to hold the soil in place, it began to blow away. Eroding soil led to massive dust storms and economic devastation—especially in the Southern Plains.
What part of Oklahoma was the Dust Bowl?
Panhandle area
People were desperate. By 1934, it had turned the Great Plains into a desert that came to be known as the Dust Bowl. In Oklahoma, the Panhandle area was hit hardest by the drought.
What years did the Dust Bowl occur in Oklahoma?
Between 1930 and 1940, the southwestern Great Plains region of the United States suffered a severe drought.
How did people survive the Dust Bowl?
In 1932, the weather bureau reported 14 dust storms. The next year, the number climbed to 38. People tried to protect themselves by hanging wet sheets in front of doorways and windows to filter the dirt. They stuffed window frames with gummed tape and rags.
What stopped the Dust Bowl?
Rain falls, but the damage is done
Although it seemed like the drought would never end to many, it finally did. In the fall of 1939, rain finally returned in significant amounts to many areas of the Great Plains, signaling the end of the Dust Bowl.
How hot was it in Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl?
1936: Alva (July 18), Altus (July 19 and August 12), and Poteau (August 12) each report daily maximum temperatures of 120 degrees, the highest ever recorded in Oklahoma. 1936: Warmest (87.9 degrees) and driest (0.22 inches of precipitation) August of century.
What did families eat during the Dust Bowl?
Dust Bowl meals focused on nutrition over taste. They often included milk, potatoes, and canned goods. Some families resorted to eating dandelions or even tumbleweeds.
How many days did the Dust Bowl last?
Dust Bowl, name for both the drought period in the Great Plains that lasted from 1930 to 1936 and the section of the Great Plains of the United States that extended over southeastern Colorado, southwestern Kansas, the panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma, and northeastern New Mexico.