Dust Bowl drought of 1930s rates as worst weather of the century

Published: Friday, October 29, 1999

WASHINGTON {AP} It was a cruel time for America, heat and drought of the 1930s compounding the Depression, turning the nation's breadbasket into a dust bowl in the worst weather event of the century.

"Men and women huddled in their houses, and they tied handkerchiefs over their noses when they went out, and wore goggles to protect their eyes," John Steinbeck wrote of the period in "The Grapes of Wrath."

"More than any other weather or climate event, the 1930s drought shaped American society," Weatherwise magazine reports in its November-December issue, which chronicles the century's 10 worst weather and climate events.

The heat and drought of the 1930s caused the legendary flight of thousands from the Great Plains to California, revolutionized farm policy and, combined with the Depression, brought misery to millions, Weatherwise pointed out.

Many Americans still remember this time when the wind raced over the land, lifting it into great clouds of dust, digging among the roots of the corn, as Steinbeck wrote, "until the roots were freed by the prying wind and then each stalk settled wearily sideways toward the earth and pointed the direction of the wind."

Weatherwise asked about 30 of its contributing writers and editors to rate the worst weather of the last 100 years.

"It is a very subjective list," admitted Weatherwise managing editor Doyle Rice. But, he added, "We thought it would be a fun way to finish off the century.

"These 10 events were chosen not only for the devastation they wrought upon human life and property, but also because they opened doors for scientific discovery, changed our understanding of meteorology and climatology, and tested the limits of our technology," Rice said.

Second on the list was the super tornado outbreak of April 3-4, 1974, that killed more than 300 people in a dozen states: Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.