The car is a 1934 or 1935 Buick. There were no external changes to differentiate one model year from the other. The biggest change between the two model years was an automatic choke under the hood of all 1935 models. Buick would introduce all new models in 1936.

Does anyone know the make, model, and year of the car in the photo? I have zero skills when it comes to this kind of thing.

My mother grew up in Western Oklahoma in the 1930's. Even though her town (Elk City) was not in the middle of the Dust Bowl, she remembers that they still experienced it - and her family had friends and relatives that lived near 'Ground Zero' (Texas/Oklahoma panhandle).

Read somewhere where static electricity was a huge problem during these storms.

Back in 1976 I lived in far western Oklahoma. One day a big, dark cloud blew up onto the northwest horizon. The day grew dark, then even darker, as if the sun had set in the east, and steetlights came on just as the edge of the dust storm hit town. People tried to drive with their headlights on, but finally gave up and stopped to weather the blowing wind and blackness. Lasted maybe an hour, and even in modern buildings with metal-framed windows, the fine fine dust insinuated its way into the rooms of our building.

The only real dust storm I ever saw, and one of the reasons I no longer live in Oklahoma.

These dust storms were also common as far north as Saskatchewan, buried fences, buildings, roads etc.
Reading stories from the 30's I was surprised at the amount of people that actually stayed in the dust bowl areas and did not migrate west. This part of history should be mandatory reading for everyone in North America.

I knew a guy in Oklahoma who said his mom was a clean freak and just about lost it during those dust storms. The dust would blow up against the house and would blow under the window frames and pile up like snow drifts on the window sills inside. He also said they had two steps up to the front porch and the dust drifted like snow does up to the top step.

My family is from the Texas Panhandle (Clarendon) and my grandparents have told me stories about this awful time. They said that the wind and dust were blowing so bad that the barbed wire fences would glow. Amazing picture!!

My mother also was born and grew up in the Texas Panhandle, in the little train-stop town of Claude. She would have been 14 in 1936. I recall her telling me of the dust clouds so thick that they literally blackened the sky, but I never could fully picture it in my mind (or accept that it wasn't another "tall Texas tale") until I saw this photo. Scary, indeed. Like so many other families, they left Texas for California in search of a better life around this time.

My Mom grew up in the Texas panhandle (Dimmit) and would have been a teenager in 1936. She has told me many stories of what the dust storms were like but it puts it in perspective when you see it like this. Thanks for the education!

Hi Dave, this is exactly what I called it when I forwarded it on to the rest of the family. Arthur Rothstein picture of the day! Thanks so much for sourcing these. I live in Hong Kong and it is wonderful to keep in touch with my Dad's work through your photos. Really appreciate it. Wishing you a great year in 2008! Eve

[Thanks Eve! (I'll never run out, will I? Another good one here.) And Happy New Year to you too, way over on the other side of the world. - Dave]

Dave, you did it again. That is one incredible photograph taken by my father! He loved his contrasts and this is another one I have never seen. Thanks

[I saw this and knew I had my picture for the day. Thank you Arthur Rothstein! And daughter! - Dave]

Makes me think of some of the "hard travelin'" Woody Guthrie might have gone through.

The book "The Worst Hard Time" gives frightening accounts of what happened during the Dust Bowl. At times these dust storms blew to the East Coast. Great book, awful topic.

This is one unbelievable shot. Scary as hell though. I can't blame anyone for trying to get out of there.