The Great Depression had devastating impacts across the United States in the early 1930s. Unemployment reached as high as 80% in some industrial cities. A drought hit the Plains in 1930, killing many farmers and livestock and forcing over 2.5 million people to relocate west. Herbert Hoover's policies as president failed to adequately address the crisis - his emphasis on voluntary cooperation proved insufficient, and his rejection of direct relief exacerbated widespread homelessness, hunger, and suffering. By 1932, Hoover's popularity had plummeted and he lost re-election in a landslide.