Huge, billowing clouds of blinding dust fills the air. People and animals die of dust pneumonia. Farmers rip up the precious soil to plant crops. What caused such bad, blinding sand whirlwinds? These terrible dust hurricanes that blinded thousands were caused by the drought, the loss of shortgrass prairie, and advances in farming technology. The drought dried up the land and the loose soil blew away in the fierce winds. All the dust and dirt gathered tens of thousands of feet in the air. Farmers plowed up hundreds, if not thousands of acres of precious topsoil. They dug up the shortgrass prairie. The shortgrass helped hold the land together with its roots. Lastly, advances in farming technology enabled farmers to plow more than ever before. The more the farmers dug up shortgrass prairie, the more the dirt and dust blew away. As you can see, the dust bowl was caused by the drought, the loss of shortgrass prairie, and advances in farming technology.
