<P> The Dust Bowl exodus was the largest migration in American history within a short period of time . Between 1930 and 1940 , approximately 3.5 million people moved out of the Plains states ; of those , it is unknown how many moved to California . In just over a year , over 86,000 people migrated to California . This number is more than the number of migrants to that area during the 1849 Gold Rush . Migrants abandoned farms in Oklahoma , Arkansas , Missouri , Iowa , Nebraska , Kansas , Texas , Colorado , and New Mexico , but were often generally referred to as `` Okies '' , `` Arkies '' , or `` Texies '' . Terms such as `` Okies '' and `` Arkies '' came to be known in the 1930s as the standard terms for those who had lost everything and were struggling the most during the Great Depression . </P>
what states were most affected by the dust bowl
Oklahoma Arkansas Missouri Iowa Nebraska Kansas Texas Colorado New Mexico