California Becomes A Dust Bowl
Shades of 1935. What happened in Texas and Oklahoma may repeat itself in California. The worst dust bowl in U.S. history was caused by drought and high winds. Those conditions exist again.
Several California universities have issued a report titled “Beyond the Haze: A UC Dust Report on the Causes, Impacts, and Future of Dust Storms in California.” an examination of dust bowl-prone areas in the most populous state in America has already reached crisis levels. “These regions where dust storms occur encompass an area greater than 55,000 square miles and are home to nearly five million Californians. To put these numbers in perspective, this is an area and a population greater than nearly half of the states in the US.”
Climate Change Challenge
The problem cannot be solved. The areas affected are too vast. Climate change has created an area where drought is nearly permanent. Most but not all of this runs from Los Angeles to the Mexican border, and most of it is inland.
According to the NOAA, some severe storms have recently occurred, which uses satellite tracking. “The latest storm began in southern New Mexico and southwest Texas on March 18, 2025, darkening the skies over El Paso and nearby cities, snarling traffic throughout the area.”
The dust from the recent storms has moved as far east as New York and eastern Canada.
Another study shows, “The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported an increase in the frequency of sand and dust storm events in the USA from 20 in 2000, to 238 in 2022.”
More from ClimateCrisis 247
- Wildfires Kill An Additional 15,000 People
- Climate Change Ruins Plane Flights
- How Wildfire Smoke Becomes More Deadly
- 29,000 Buildings Sinking Into The Ground
