Why Did The Drought In The Dust Bowl

Climate was the biggest reason leading The Dust Bowl occurred, the climate of The Great Plain’s region consists of an average of less than 20 inches of precipitation per year and winds normally reach the speed of 60 miles per hour. Scientists believed that the drought that caused the Dust Bowl Era between 1930 and 1937 occurred because of a La Niña event in the Pacific Ocean. Where cool ocean surface temperatures reduced the amount of moisture entering the jet stream and directed it south to the U.S., where it rolled over The Great Plains. The only thing that kept the soil in place at first was the vegetation, which, in The Great Plains, is primarily a thick grass that does not need a lot of water, these grasses evolved to the area’s climate
Many of The Great Plains residents found themselves requesting government’s assistance. “21% of rural families in the Great Plains received federal emergency relief” [National Drought Mitigation Center]. The drought of 1930s and The Great Depression also led to relief expenditures of $525 billion by the Congress. It was quite difficult to find food not only due to the lack of money, but also that everything was either sitting in dust or covered in dust made it difficult to eat. Farmers, while they were fighting the harsh conditions, did not have time to grow livestock. Thus, meat was harder to come by in the area. Many people would go to parks where there were special areas for cooking. They could build a fireplace and cook whatever simple foods they could scavenge from the surrounding area. Everyone shared food and goods with each other in hopes it meant a better chance for
The U.S. government quickly started the Drought Program and set it into effect in order to help those who had been through the horrible disaster. It included four separate points: “Providing emergency supplies, cash, livestock feed and transport to maintain the basic functioning of livelihoods and farms/ ranches. Establishing health care facilities and supplies to meet emergency medical needs. Establishing government-based markets for farm goods, higher tariffs, and loan funds for farm market maintenance and business rehabilitation, and providing the supplies, technology, and technical advice necessary to research, implement, and promote proper land management strategies” [National Drought Mitigation