Haunting photos of the Dust Bowl Era of the 1930s

The phenomenon known as the Dust Bowl occurred over several stages, primarily in the 1930s. It was a period where severe dust storms blew through the prairie lands.

These storms resulted in significant issues for the people occupying these regions. It especially affected farmers in this area who relied solely on their income from farming to support their families.

Severe drought was one of the major contributing factors. It was made worse by the the fact that certain farming techniques were not employed beforehand to prevent extreme wind erosion.

This was taking place just east of the Rocky Mountains, where the land levels out and becomes flat, expansive, and dry. In the late 1800s, migrants and immigrants moved their family to this area called the Great Plains in order to settle the land and make their living from agriculture.

For many years, the land produced abundant crops. But in 1930, the Great Plains entered into one of a series of severe droughts.

Because the land had been worked over for many years at this point, much of the necessary and indigenous plants had been removed. This caused the wind to easily pick up the dry and fine topsoil, which then gathered and created gigantic dust storms over the years.

Many families had to leave the Plains and migrate in order to feed their families and stay alive. This was also occurring during The Great Depression, where work and money and opportunities were scarce.

Let’s take a look at this dangerous and unique phenomenon.