People today are becoming more informed about the environmental issues facing our changing world, but many of these issues are not new. Neither is the connection between the American economy and natural disasters. One example of this connection is remembered by our grandparents' and great grandparents' generations. They lived through a period called the Dust Bowl, a very difficult time during the 1930s. (2) Starting in the mid-1800s, many families moved to the Midwest, an area of the United States known for its rich soil and successful farms. In some places, forests were cut down to make room for more people to farm. Until World War 1, the Great Plains was used mostly for cattle raising. However, wheat became a very useful commodity because it could be ground up and turned into flour to make bread. In the early 1900s, millions of acres of the prairie grasses that grew in the area were plowed over to make room for wheat. By the 1930s, because of increased farming, the soil in the Midwest began to suffer and wheat supplies decreased.

(3) Over-farming was not the only cause of the Dust Bowl. During the 1930s, there was also a long drought that lasted for years. This meant that the soil dried up and killed the crops. Without the prairie grasses to weigh down the topsoil, the Midwest became extremely dusty. Dust storms were known as "Black Blizzards." The thick dust made simple everyday tasks like eating, breathing, and walking difficult. Children had to wear masks to school and women hung damp sheets over windows to prevent as much dust as possible from entering the home. The previously successful farmers suddenly found themselves unable to grow crops, which meant they could not support their families or make extra money.

(4) Within a few short years, the Midwest became known as the Dust Bowl. Huge dust storms swept across the Midwestern states, and houses and farm machinery were buried under the dust, like toys left forgotten on a shelf. Unfortunately, many families who had lived in the Midwest for generations left. In fact, during the 1930s, about 2.5 million people total from Dust Bowl states left their farms and traveled west looking for work. It was a very sad time for the hard-working farm families living there.

Select the statement that explains how the Midwest became a dust bowl.

Environmental issues, like tornados, happen in the United States.

Farmers couldn't grow enough food to support their large families.

People stopped using their farm machinery because of costly repairs.

Years of drought and over-farming exposed the topsoil to weather.