Another Dust Bowl, Hurricane Link?

Join AccuWeather.com meteorologists Elliot Abrams, Ken Reeves, and Dale Mohler today for their video discussion "Another Dust Bowl."

The Dust Bowl (huh?) was an ecological disaster occurring in the mid-1930s, involving a severe long-term drought and frequent dust storms in the Plains.

Meteorologist Elliot Abrams explains that the Summer of 1936 was the worst year, and many of the record highs set that year in the Plains still stand today. The problem was simply that the moist flow from the Gulf Of Mexico was not there during those years.

Could it happen today?

Elliot says that meteorologists took note when the record hurricane season of 1933 was broken last year, because that harsh season so long ago preceded the Dust Bowl. No one knows whether there is a direct relationship, but it wouldn't be the first time that connections have been found amongst hurricane, snowfall and rainfall seasons far apart.

Certainly, there has already been a severe drought in the Southern Plains for more than six months already. Meteorologist Dale Mohler explains that, if that drought continues past 12 months, we will have a serious situation on our hands.

There are some saving graces thanks to modern day technology. Fortunately these days agricultural policies keep "cover crops" growing between seasons so topsoil is not exposed to the wind in the way that it was in the 1930's, so even if we entered the same drought period, we might not see as many large dust storms as they did back then.

Incredible photos of the Dust Bowl can be seen on NOAA's site.