re: If an event like The Dust Bowl happened today, what would be the reaction?

The bison were a central part of the Great Plains ecosystem that were virtually wiped out.
Once we began clearing grassland for farms and towns. We depleted the soil of nutrients in about 5 years , then moved further west. No grass or crops left to keep dirt in place in tornado alley means = dust bowl.
Inconsistent Rainfall, poor to little irrigation infrastructure at the time,
Poor soil science knowledge, no natural source to re-aerate soil and disperse large amount of seeds: all contributed to the dust bowl.

Yes, I know birds and other animals can disperse seeds, but not on the scale the hundreds of thousands of bison did for the Great Plains.