Hoosier famine of 2019-22

the **Hoosier famine of 2019-22**, also known as the **Great Starvation** was a historic famine which severely impacted the Midwestern United States and Canada, although the worst effected state was Indiana.

It was the result of a below average rain season, as well as the scorched earth policy enacted during the retreat of alien forces starting in December 2018.

This resulted in a large part of the state of Indiana's infrastructure being destroyed, including roughly 85% of the state's corn and soybeans.

Initial UN estimates shown that roughly 60,000 to 100,000 had starved to death, however later estimates showed roughly 90,000 to 300,000 deaths. This makes it one of the worst, if not the worst, famines ever to effect the United States.

## Causes and timeline

### Causes

On December 2, 2018, the Battle of Louisville-Madison ended in a United Nations victory. The alien forces ordered a retreat to the Secondary Defensive Line (along Interstate 70), and enacted a scorched earth policy.

The cities of Columbus, Bloomington and Terre Haute in Indiana were razed, with the city of Cincinnati also suffering major damage. Various farms were looted and then burned, resulting in southern Indiana being nearly decimated.

By January, the Secondary Defensive Line had been reached, and the scorched earth policy continued. By this point, below average rain and snow had occurred.

Not only that, but a major frost event resulted in another 10% of the corn crop in the state being killed. In February, the Secondary Defensive Line collapsed, and roughly 25% of Indiana's buildings was razed as they retreated to the Final Defensive Line (Interstate 90).

Not only that, but roughly 70-75% of the corn crop in the state were destroyed in this retreat. As the first citizens returned to Indiana in early March, they found a decimated wasteland of a former state.

A brutal internal conflict would take place in Indiana, as some rebels refused to give up control over their cities. The most famous of these was the Socialist Armed Youth (SAY), based out of Muncie.

### 2019

As the remainder of Indiana was retreated out of in March, large numbers of people returned. Farmers imported soil from the southeastern United States, however a well below average rain season and a major drought resulted in the lack of corn growth.

The first starvation death linked to the famine was on April 21, 2019, in Evansville, Indiana. The UN attempted to get emergency kits with food into the state, however roads were closed off and often the kits would be looted and sold for very high prices (often exceeding $200).

By May 5, the 100th starvation death had occurred, the United Nations warned of a possibility of a famine being underway, with roughly 30% of the state population being on the brink of starvation by May 10.

On June 1, United States Congress passed a emergency bill announcing a famine was in progress in the Midwest, as the 5,000th death occurred on June 12.

The United Nations declared the Midwest a "Famine Watch Zone" (FWZ) to watch for the possibility of it being designated a major famine zone on June 13.

By July 1, 10,000 people had starved to death, and the United Nations declared a Level 1 (Minor) famine on July 2. This was upgraded to a Level 2 (Moderate) famine on July 10 as the 13,000th death occurred.

The starvation level decreased after August 1, after a major rainstorm brought as much as 20 inches of rain at spots, allowing corn to, albeit briefly, grow.

By December, roughly 30,000-50,000 people had starved to death, and the UN designated it a Level 8 (Historic) famine, and it was a unprecedented famine for the United States.

### 2020

On January 1, roughly 27 starvation deaths were confirmed in the state of Indiana, with another 9 in Ohio and 2 in Michigan.

By February, roughly 40,000-65,000 people had starved to death since July 2019, and the UN designated it as a Level 9 (Near Unprecedented) famine.

The first major move to end the famine was on March 2, 2020, when the state of Iowa (which had confirmed 8 starvation deaths only), airdropped food over many regions in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan.

By June, 45,000-100,000 people had died in the famine, and the UN marked it as a Level 10 (Unprecedented) famine, a humanitarian crisis was declared in progress on July 21.

A near average rain season was seen in Indiana that year, with some areas seeing 30 inches of rain by October, this allowed the corn fields to grow once again.

However, many people kept the corn to themselves, or selling it at scalper prices. This resulted in the Corn Riots breaking out in November 2020 in the town of Gaston, Indiana.

On December 31, it had been confirmed that 70,000-120,000 people had died since July 2019 as a result of the famine.