Life During the Dust Bowl
How did the Dust Bowl affect the lives of Americans?
Goal:
Goal:
Life for people living in the Dust Bowl was difficult. Dust invaded their homes, destroyed their land, and damaged their health. What was it like to live during the time of the Dust Bowl? Study the tabs below to learn more about life during this time.
Work
Food
Homes
Health
Most farmers went out of business and had to leave their farms. They couldn't plant food because the soil was too dry, and they couldn't take care of their livestock because they didn't have any food. In addition, some farms and businesses were literally buried in dirt.
Because the soil and crops were destroyed, farmers couldn't plant anything. Many were hungry, with no way to grow their own food. Millions of people moved away from the Dust Bowl area, most of them heading west.
Many homes were destroyed during the Dust Bowl when they were completely covered by dirt. If you were lucky enough to escape having your home covered by dirt, you still had to deal with dirt invading your house. It was a constant fight to keep the dirt out. Many people were left homeless and tried to move west.
The dust made it very hard for people to breathe because it covered them from head to toe if they stepped outside. It was very dangerous to people's health. Some came down with dust pneumonia, strep throat, and eye infections all because of exposure to the dust. Some people even died from inhaling too much dust, which caused inflammation in the lungs.