THE RECORD-BREAKING DR DUGHT, HEAT, AND DUST STORMS < )F 19341 By LYLYAN H. BLOCK The spring and summer of 1934 stations. In April, ten South Dakota brought by far the hottest weather, stations equalled or exceeded their the most severe drought and the worst previous high temperatures for the dust storms the country east of the month, and while all stations broke Rocky Mountains has ever experienc- May records, seven of these stations ed in its climatological history. suffered the highest temperatures By late August, 24 states with a they had ever recorded. In July, population of more than 27 millions phenomenally high temperatures set had been seriously affected. Never be- in on the 9th and prevailed with such fore had there been so little rain persistency that when the heat wave over so wide a territory throughout terminated on the 24th, new all-time the growing season. Like the depres- records for heat had been established sion, the drought made itself felt as throughout the State. At Pukwana an international disaster. The list of and Pollock, a maximum temperature countries in the line-up reads almost of 118° F. surpassed the previous rec- like a roster of the world's best ord of 117° F. at Kennebec in July, farm lands. 1933. August records for the month Extent of drought zone.—Roughly were broken, and more than a dozen speaking, the drought zone extends stations equalled or exceeded their from the interior of Russia across all-time records. Germany and the Danube Basin, From June 19 to August 21, not a across France, the North Atlantic single day passed without a tempera- Ocean, the United States, and Can- ture of 100° or more being registered ada. Within this vast zone there at some place in the country (exclud- were damp spots, but as a whole it ing desert stations like Yuma and was deficient in moisture. In a mea- Phoenix, Ariz., where such tempera- sure, Argentina and Australia have tures are normal). During this somewhat the same story to tell. scorching period, maxima of 119° oc- Unusually high spring and sum- curred in more than one State. mer temperatures. — "The excess "At Columbia, Mo., the average above normal temperature in many maximum temperature for July was places was nearly twice as great as 100° F.; at Oklahoma City, Okla., that for the previous warmest sum- 100; Topeka, Kans., 102; and Fort mer of record."2 New hi<?h tempera- Smith, Ark., 102. For the summer tures were recorded early, and the months (June-August) Des Moines, number of days with 100° F or over had 22 days with maximum temper- was exceptional at a large number of atures 100 or higher; Columbia, Mo., 34 days; Topeka, Kans., 47; Okla- 1This article is based on observations of the wr'ter on several journeys through the homa City, Okla., 45, and Fort Smith, drought area during the past five vears, the most recent being in October, 1934, and on Ark., 53. Nothing remotely approach- material received from several sources by the ing this for sustained heat has been EDITOR of the BULLETIN. Quotations from Science Service News Bulletins are indited experienced in any State east of the by an asterisk. Maps and detailed statistical information on temperature and precipitation Rocky Mountains since weather rec- departures may be found in the Weekly ords began."2 Weather and Crop Bulletins, The Monthly Weather Review and Climatological Data. A summary is presented in the Report of the 2Report of the Chief of the Weather Bureau, Chief of the Weather Bureau, 19SU. 1934, p. 7. Unauthenticated | Downloaded 09/24/21 11:18 AM UTC Dust storms. — The interim from that top soil, whether sand or loam, September, 1933 to autumn 1934 was was ever ready for an aerial journey. a veritable nightmare to thousands of Fields were reported blown clear of people in South Dakota, North Da- plowed soil in Minnesota or stripped kota, Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa, to hard pan in Nebraska. Innumer- the five states comprising the heart able tons of highly pulverized soil of the drought area during the suc- were whirled into the air to collect in cession of highly arid autumn, win- weed-choked fences, drift around ter and spring trees, block highways, fill drainage Constant soil blowing was the usual ditches. Even after costly removal by order of the day. Especially were the snow plows, both the denuded areas high winds and storms attended by and the regions of deposition carried dust—at times depriving the night of the subsequent menace of local floods stars and the day of the sun. Occa- owing to the greatly impaired drain- sionally dust-storms raged for days, age. and twice they overspread nearly half The human side of the dust storm the United States, as in the instances is heart rending. In the sandy pota- of November and May.3 Others vary- to-growing districts of western Min- ing in severity and duration quickly nesota, it was necessary for people to followed in the wake of their prede- wear cloth over their faces when go- cessors. During April, for example, ing out of doors. Growing vegetables Iowa reported dust storms on 22 days. and even ripened fruits were injured, Rain in one area was no assurance machinery damaged, windows and that dust in quantity would not be windshields rendered partly opaque, blown in from another. Nor was the paint jobs ruined, visibility reduced thirsty soil likely to remain stable and travel made hazardous. long in the temporarily moisture- The parching air of low relative blessed locality. humidity was suffocating to animals Dust storms were frequent also in and persons alike—even deaths being drought states outside the worst reported from this cause. Closed win- drought area, and continued well into dows did not suffice to prevent dust August. Perhaps the storms which being driven into homes and places of most etched their record on the land- business, where it entailed an un- scape were the ''black blizzards" ori- heard of amount of subsequent house- ginating in South Dakota in April cleaning and loss in value to merchan- and May, which latter month marked dise. Moreover, having to sleep with the end of the driest nine-months pe- closed windows and little ventilation riod recorded in that State and some night after night was declared by adjoining sections. There were great many to be a most trying experience. dust storms in Manitoba, too. However, the economic loss result- While there cannot be said to have ing from the snarling of highway and been marked increase in the steadi- street traffic, as well as other enum- ness and velocity of the winds, there erated losses, is comparatively minor was marked increase in their dam- when compared with the great agri- age. Sustained heat and aridity had cultural loss where grain was blown so dessicated the vegetative cover out of the ground before it took root and even while it lay dormant after sSee BULLETIN, Feb., pp. 31-35; April, pp. 107-109; Aug.-Sept., pp. 194-198; Monthly reseeding, adding insult to injury, so Weather Review, v. 62, Jan., pp. 12-15; May, to speak. Whereas drought itself was p. 162, 1934. Unauthenticated | Downloaded 09/24/21 11:18 AM UTC only a temporary menace, erosion and open as during the winter just brought permanent ruin. The story past. is one of repeated relief and replant- Similarly, chinch bugs rode in on ing until in the end there was no the drought and hot weather. Large- harvest for even the thriftiest. ly unhampered in their migrations, Late spring rains give temporary they pursued with abnormally large relief.—Rains of the Northwest in numbers and damage their custom- late May and early June were worth ary seasonal life history in the millions to the Government and far- Corn Belt, infesting first the wheat mers alike—though not fully break- and small grains, and then the corn. ing the drought of the preceding 6 With the wheat crop so deeply cut months, it is true—for need of econom- by the drought, corn was precious ic relief was somewhat lessened, and and must not be lost. Accordingly, a soil was reconditioned for prompt $1,000,000 appropriation was made germination of quick-growing second- to aid in reducing chinch bug ravages crop plants to replace seed which had and in mitigating the hazard for next been blown from the soil. summer. So dreadful was their on- New courage was given—for this slaught in certain sections of Illinois entirely normal rain was brought by and elsewhere that there came the an- a northwesterly storm that followed omaly of World's Fair officials ac- the normal storm tracks that swing cepting quantities of the pests as "ad- deeply south into the country and mission tickets." They have spread dominate most of the weather of the over territory far to the north of Northwest and West. their usual range, owing to a suc- Insect pests.—While the farmer cession of hot, dry summers in the was making a noble stand to save his past few years. They were rated as herds during the close of winter, new "bad" well up into central Iowa.* In enemies lined up against him. The fact, farmers in the northern mid- unabated heat and drought gave aid western states entirely abandoned to some of his worst foes among in- considerable fields because of destruc- sect pests and plant diseases. tion by drought and chinch bugs. The return of the grasshopper "Wheat in the Ohio valley was sub- scourge, for example, dating from the jected to a severe attack of Hessian drought years of 1930, to the region Fly, and near the headwaters of the from North Dakota and New Mexi- Ohio there was a serious outbreak of co west to California was considered the black grain-stem sawfly.