"Black Sunday": 80 Years Ago Major Dust Storm Hits Oklahoma

80 years ago today in the heart of the Dust Bowl a major dust storm pushed its way across the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles.

This storm was dubbed “Black Sunday” and took place on April 14, 1935. It was one of the worst dust storms in American history and caused immense economic and agricultural damage. It is estimated to have displaced 300 million tons of topsoil from the prairie area in the United States.

The “black blizzard”, or dust storm, hit the Oklahoma Panhandle and northwestern Oklahoma first on the afternoon of April 14. It then moved south, hitting Beaver, OK around 4:00 p.m., Boise City around 5:15 p.m. and Amarillo, TX at 7:20 p.m.

The storm was harsh due to the high winds that hit the area that day. Along with the drought, erosion, and the unanchored soil, the winds caused the dust to fly freely and at high speeds.