When the War of 1812 broke out, Jackson was commissioned as a in the U. S. Army. Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Major
Staff Sergeant
Major General

what are local authorities doing to fix the problem

explanation:

payments were made after the 1940s.

in the 1980s, a commission held investigations and made recommendations.

the causes of the dust bowls were severe droughts,   lands became dry and hard, temperature was higher than usual, hot and dry conditions killed crops, high winds. because of those factors, the winds kicked up dry soil and created clouds of dust.