The years of 1930-1938 were a time of drought throughout the United States. This time of drought caused one of the largest population shifts in U.S. History. As the crops died, farmers and their families were pushed into poverty. Hundreds of thousands of people packed up their things and migrated westward, mostly to California. By 1939, the about one half of the entire population of the Great Plains population had moved from the area.

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John Steinbeck immortalized the disaster and one family's journey to California in the classic novel, "The Grapes of Wrath".

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If you are interested in finding out what transpired during this period, please read on.....at the bottom of the hub you will find an excellent video of a huge dust storm moving through Phoenix, AZ.

Before the drought started, the Great Plains had enjoyed a time of prosperity. The region was nicknamed "the nation's bread basket" being known for plentiful grain harvests and good grazing land. These prosperous times ended in 1930 as the rain stopped and did not return. This continued for the next couple of years.

In 1934, dust storms started to blow across five states: Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas and Oklahoma. This thick dry soil darkened the skies, coated streets, vehicles and house, and killed cattle by the thousands. These "black blizzards" killed several hundred people due to the inhalation of the unescapable dust. This entire region of the United States became known as the "Dust Bowl", which explains the name of the decade: "The Dirty Thirties".

On March 21, 1935 a blinding, choking dust cloud swept over the midwest causing suffering to man and beast and doing a large amount of damage.

The weather bureaus from Washington and Boston reported a massive blanket of dust heading east. These meteorologists predicted that there would be 10 tons of dust hanging over each square mile in the vicinity of Washington.

On the same day, the choking cloud of dust crossed the Mississippi and fell on Quincy, Illinois. Traffic was paralyzed, schools closed, business was tied up and streets were lighted at midday as another dust storm rolled over Kansas City. Warnings were issued for residents to remain indoors and several children perished.

Western Kansas appeared to be the hardest hit, but in southeastern Wyoming dust was reported so severe that it covered fences. The storms ranged from western Oklahoma and eastern New Mexico north to South Dakota's Black Hills, reaching eastward into Missouri.

The Chicago grain market reacted quickly. Prices climbed as reports of the unestimated damage to crops in the wheat belt.

The Oklahoma State Statistician, H.G. Dunham estimated all the damage to the wheat crops to total at least $10,000,000--a huge loss at that time in history.

Women and children generally stayed indoors where the storms were the worst. They used wet sheets and blankets hung in front of doors and windows to fight the sifting dust.

One fact that I found extremely interesting was that in 1936 the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Henry A. Wallace, suggested that there was a climate change going on that could possibly make the United States an arid land. Wallace brought this up at Northwestern University during his tour of the drought stricken areas.

The federal government was called upon to aid the affected states. There were also widespread efforts to conserve soil and water.

Finally, in the winter of 1938, the rains came and the years of the drought ended. Over the next decade the Dust Bowl received a plentiful amount of rainfall. Much of the damage caused by the dust storms could have been avoided if farmers had known more about land management and soil conservation. While plowing, farmers had destroyed the tough natural grasses that held topsoil in place. Without an anchor, topsoil can easily dry up and blow away during drought years.

During and after the drought farmers, scientists and government officials worked together to improve conditions in the Great Plains region. In 1935, the Soil Conservation Service was formed to teach farmers better planting methods. They built dams and canals to bring water to dry lands. Scientists developed strains of wheat and corn that could survive in drier conditions. Further, laws were passed to make sure a specified amount of federal land remained covered with natural grasses.