Perceptions and practices in the Great Plains during the great heat wave of 1936

Abstract

This work examines the impact of the heat wave in 1936 on the states of Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, considering not only meteorological event also this environmental occurrence that transformed everyday life. Throughout the text, it is highlighted that the phenomenon reached critical levels in July 1936, with temperatures of up to 48°C (118°F), causing approximately 5,000 deaths and the total destruction of staple crops. This work focuses on perceptions of the disaster, demonstrating that these were not uniform: while urban and university communities initially viewed the heat as a nuisance to be mitigated through recreational activities, in rural areas it represented an existential crisis characterized by physical and emotional exhaustion as well as economic ruin.

The paper also examines various adaptation strategies and resistance implemented by the population, including sleeping outdoors, modifying working hours, and resorting to traditional practices, such as rain dances performed by Indigenous groups. It further analyzes the transition toward technological solutions, including the use of air-conditioning systems in urban centers. Finally, it highlights the fundamental role of the federal government under the framework of the New Deal, which intervened through the massive allocation of funds for drought relief and soil conservation, which contributed to consolidate an increasing dependence of rural communities on state assistance in contexts of extreme climate-related crises.