Final answer:
The drought in the West worsened the Great Depression by intensifying economic difficulties for farmers and triggering mass migration to cities in search of work. The drought also contributed to the Dust Bowl phenomenon, which further degraded the land and worsened the agricultural crisis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The drought in the West made the Great Depression worse by exacerbating the already dire economic situation. The agricultural sector was one of the hardest hit during the Great Depression, and the drought intensified the difficulties faced by farmers. With little or no rainfall, crops failed, livestock died, and farmers were unable to pay off debts or sustain their livelihoods.
This led to widespread unemployment in rural areas and forced many farmers to abandon their land, contributing to the mass migration of people to cities in search of work. The lack of water and the resulting economic hardships worsened the overall impact of the Great Depression.
Furthermore, the drought exacerbated the Dust Bowl phenomenon, which caused severe dust storms and soil erosion due to the lack of vegetation. These conditions further degraded the land, making it even more difficult for farmers to sustain their crops and exacerbating the agricultural crisis during the Great Depression.
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