Wind Carried Silt Over Wide Area in State, Dust Covered Everything

and Permeated Into Homes.

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DAMAGE TO CROPS NOT GREAT IN

BROWN COUNTY

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Pastures Suffering and Hay Crop Will Be Cut, If Rain Does Not Soon

Visit Southern Minnesota.

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The worst dust storm of the season visited southern and central Minnesota Tuesday. Although the wind did not reach a velocity it did on several former occasions, when dust storms visited this section, the pall of dust, which was carried along over wide areas, was much heavier.

The weather bureau observers in the Twin Cities attribute the dust storms to the extreme dryness of the soil, only a superficial layer of which was affected by last Saturday’s rainfall.

In area, Tuesday’s storm reached Albert Lea, Fairmont, Blue Earth, Luverne and Austin to the south, reached north to beyond the Twin Cities and in width spread out from Madison on the west to Winona on the east.

The past April was one of the driest since weather observations were taken here. Swan lake is lower than it has been in twenty-five years, with one exception. It is anticipated that if the present season continues dry that it will be lower than in the history of the white man in this section of the country next year.

Sun Obscured

The dust was so heavy in the heavens that the sun was obscured. The sky had a leaden appearance and dust sifted through the air and covered everything. A heavy coating was on the sidewalks, on vegetation, buildings and everything that came in contact with the open. When walking through the grass a dust cloud was raised. This covered shoes and clothing and one had the appearance of having walked over a ploughed field.

Headlights on Cars.

Many automobile drivers were compelled to turn on their headlights to observe the highway. The dust clouds obscured the vision and made driving most difficult. The wind piled up the dust along the highways, especially so along the ones running north and south. In many places the ditches were filled with the flying earth.

Not High Wind.

The remarkable feature of the storm was that the wind did not obtain a high velocity in this section of the state. This proved to observers of the phenomena that the dust storm originated elsewhere and was carried to this section.

Housewives in Turmoil.

The housewives in southern Minnesota are up in arms against the weather man and swear vengeance, if that will do ’em any good. Many of them have just completed their spring house cleaning labors and now have to do the work all over again. The dust sifted into the homes, even with the windows closed. It covered furniture, rugs and everything in the home. It was tracked into the homes from the outside.

During the past spring dust storms of greater or lesser degree have been experienced. Ten storms of this variety have visited this part of the state this spring and from the general aspect of weather conditions southern California will readily recognize its counterpart in Tuesday’s storm.

Exceedingly Dry.

County Agent E. C. Lenzmeler stated Wednesday morning, that the dust storms are “coming altogether too frequently. This section of the state needs rain, and needs it badly.”He states that Tuesday’s storm did not do as much damage to crops in Brown county as the high wind of a week or so ago. The wind did not obtain so great a velocity, although the clouds of dust were much heavier. Some wheat fields suffered in the southern part of the county, where the soil is of a sandy condition, but no damage was noted in the northern part of the county.

Pastures Suffering.

Pastures in this section of the state are suffering greatly from the lack of pasture and green feed. Unless rain visits this part of Minnesota during the present month in copious amounts the hay crop will also be short.

Seed Covered.

Whether or not seed in this county has been covered to such a depth by the storm that it will not germinate, is problematical. Time will only tell. In some fields this is true, as the dust has covered portions of the fields to a depth that will prohibit germination. But this is only in small areas in fields.

Brown County Journal

May 7, 1926

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