For seven years, Texas experienced the worst droughts ever, which lasted from 1950-1957. Its effects were massive compared to when the Dust Bowl: occurred. The agricultural sector collapsed leading to huge losses. Furthermore, water supply planning in the state became ineffective and failed since there was no water to be supplied to homes.
As years passed, Texas people stared at the clouds hoping to see any signs of rain but none was there for seven years. Cracks were evident on the ground as the soil dried. The long dry spell forced farmers to sell their animals and move to urban centers hoping for a better life.
The Drought Effects
Some sources claim that the drought started in 1947. This is the year when the amount of rain received in Central Texas was greatly low. Those who owned cattle relocated to North Kansas to evade the harsh effec
ts of the drought, in the 1952 summer. Unfortunately, the devastating drought quickly spread to Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas, and the amount of rainfall received was 75% below normal. More than half of Texas received significantly little rainfall. The drought was felt all over, from the Great Plains to the south of New Mexico to Deep South. The Midwest was not spared either. By 1954, a total of 10 states had been affected by the biting drought.
Lack of water was not the only problem, as environment was also severely affected by juniper and mesquite. The overgrazed land was left bare and farmers lacked food for their animals. Besides that, the weak top soils had been eroded away by wind storms that occurred during the Dust Bowl period. Thus, this drought was one of the worst in the American history.