Dirty Thirties In The Dust Bowl
Catherine Edds
Ms. Jensen
American Studies
May 13, 2017
The Dirty Thirties
“We saw this cloud coming in," says Pauline Robertson of Union County, N.M. "It would just roll in -- black, black dirt. And I'll never forget my grandmother . . . and she said, 'You kids run and get together. The end of the world's coming.'. "It came like a black wall, a tide of destruction that crashed over the broken plains, choking the life out of everything in its path," Coyote tells us.” Stories like this were normal for the hundreds of thousands affected by the 1930s dust storms (Dawidziak). Due to the quick overturn of soil caused by the high demand for produce and the lack of rain, the dust storms that occurred the the American region known as the Dust Bowl, were torrential. …show more content…
In 1937, the Works Progress Administration reported that drought was the main reason for relief in the Dust Bowl region. This meant that the lack of rain was the main contributing factor to this event. In hindsight, if rain had occurred, the loose soil would have been patted down and compacted, instead of blowing away with the wind. (Amadeo) Due to the quick overturn of crops and the lack of rain, the dust storms progressed and would continue to affect Americans, increasing the death toll and emotional and environmental issues to a high. Looking at the image below, (Hartmann) the relationship between rainfall and temperature is evident. We can see that in the 1930s, temperature was at an all time high, and rainfall was at a low. With the help of some strong winds and some dry ground, millions of tons of dust began storming through the Dust Bowl. The time series of summertime temperature and rainfall at Topeka, Kansas gives a useful illustration of natural year-to-year variations in local climate, as well as the major climate fluctuation associated with the Dust Bowl period of the 1930s.
Ms. Jensen
American Studies
May 13, 2017
The Dirty Thirties
“We saw this cloud coming in," says Pauline Robertson of Union County, N.M. "It would just roll in -- black, black dirt. And I'll never forget my grandmother . . . and she said, 'You kids run and get together. The end of the world's coming.'. "It came like a black wall, a tide of destruction that crashed over the broken plains, choking the life out of everything in its path," Coyote tells us.” Stories like this were normal for the hundreds of thousands affected by the 1930s dust storms (Dawidziak). Due to the quick overturn of soil caused by the high demand for produce and the lack of rain, the dust storms that occurred the the American region known as the Dust Bowl, were torrential. …show more content…
In 1937, the Works Progress Administration reported that drought was the main reason for relief in the Dust Bowl region. This meant that the lack of rain was the main contributing factor to this event. In hindsight, if rain had occurred, the loose soil would have been patted down and compacted, instead of blowing away with the wind. (Amadeo) Due to the quick overturn of crops and the lack of rain, the dust storms progressed and would continue to affect Americans, increasing the death toll and emotional and environmental issues to a high. Looking at the image below, (Hartmann) the relationship between rainfall and temperature is evident. We can see that in the 1930s, temperature was at an all time high, and rainfall was at a low. With the help of some strong winds and some dry ground, millions of tons of dust began storming through the Dust Bowl. The time series of summertime temperature and rainfall at Topeka, Kansas gives a useful illustration of natural year-to-year variations in local climate, as well as the major climate fluctuation associated with the Dust Bowl period of the 1930s.