The Dust Bowl was a humanitarian tragedy in America which was exacerbated by the Geography of America. As the Great Plains were farmed by settlers, the topsoil eroded away and became the great brown clouds that took over the skies of America.

During the Great Depression, there was a major drought in the American Midwest. These flat plains in the middle of the continent was home to many settlers looking to make a living. The stage was set.

As the settlers farmed, many soil conservation techniques we know of today weren’t used. Along with this, overgrazing destroyed large area of arable grasslands. Eventually, the winds took the top soil away in large clouds which would gain this area the nickname of the Dust Bowl.

The sky would become dark for days at a time as entire city blocks would get zero visibility. These fumes would be inhaled by millions affecting their health. In the end, 400,000 people left the already sparsely populated Plains regions affected the already weakened economy caused by the Great Depression.

Eventually, when our nation’s capitol Washington was hit by a dust storm the lawmakers passed the soil conservation act. This over the span of years would lead to the dust problem being contained.