Burning Man: Festival organizers have warned that tens of thousands attending the Burning Man event in Nevada’s desert should conserve fuel, food, and water as they shelter from the heavy rain storms.
After heavy rains began to saturate the area on Friday evening, attendees saw their campsites covered in thick, ankle-deep dirt. Organizers stopped vehicles from entering or leaving the festival. Some festival-goers walked miles to reach the main roads, while others hoped storms predicted to hit overnight would not worsen conditions. Burning Man Project
Hannah Burhorn, a first-time festival attendee, said in a Saturday phone interview with CNN that the desert sand had turned to thick clay, and there were puddles, mud, and other debris everywhere. Some people use Ziploc and trash bags to wrap around their shoes to prevent getting stuck. Others are walking around with bare feet.
She said, “It is unavoidable now.” It’s inside the truck. It’s ankle-deep, and people have been stuck when they tried to ride their bikes through it.
The organizers announced on X (the social media platform formerly Twitter) that the gate and airport to Black Rock City in northwest Nevada remain closed. No vehicles are allowed to enter or leave the area except for emergency vehicles.
“Don’t travel to Black Rock City!” One statement said that access to the City was closed for the rest of the event and that you would be turned away.
The Burning Man Festival in Black Rock Desert, Nevada, on August 28, 2023, is shown from a satellite view.
Maxar Technologies/Reuters
The week-long event is attended by more than 70,000 people every year. This year, the event will be held between August 28 and September 4. The weather is not known to have caused many people to be stranded.
In an update, organizers warned that the City will see more rain overnight on Saturday. On Labor Day, when the event will end, the forecasts predict that the area will dry and heat up, with clear skies and a high temperature of 75 degrees.
The National Weather Service reported that up to 0.8 inches of rain fell in the area between Friday morning and Saturday morning. This is equivalent to two to three months ‘ months ‘ months ‘ months’smonth of rainfall at this time of the year. Even small amounts of rainfall can cause flooding in the Nevada desert.
Flood watches were issued in the northeast Nevada east of Black Rock City. Individual storms produced up to an inch of rain, but higher totals – as much as three inches – were possible over the weekend.
According to a press release obtained by The Daily, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which is responsible for the land where the Burning Man festival is held, advises people to return home as the roads are still closed.
After heavy rains in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, mud fills up a Burning Man camp on September 1, 2023.
Andrew Hyde
Rain over the past 24 hours created a situation that required the complete stoppage of vehicle movements on the Playa. The statement said that more rain was expected in the coming days, and the conditions would not improve enough for vehicles to be allowed to enter the playa.
The festival began in 1986 and is held every summer in Black Rock City, a temporary city built annually just for the festival. The City comes complete with planning services, safety, and sanitary infrastructure.
The event is most famous for its closing ceremony, where a prominent wooden man symbol is lit. This event is attended by tens of thousands of people every year. Celebrities such as Sean “Diddy Combs” and Katy Perry were also present in the past.
According to the website, tens and thousands of festival-goers travel from and to the City on a two-lane highway. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the festival was canceled in 2020 and 2021.
Participants at Burning Man dedicate their time to creating art and building community. Participants can learn to spin, fire pole dance, or make shrink art jewelry. They can also build giant sculptures of two people hugging and then burn them down.
CNN reported that some on-site Burning Man preparations were affected by tropical storm Hilary, which hit the desert in August. High winds, heavy rain, and even flooding were reported.
Burning Man participants hike through mud to leave the desert.
Amar Singh Duggal, his friends, and he managed to leave the festival by walking about two miles through the mud. He told CNN. He estimated that it took about 2 hours for them to reach a main highway, where they were picked up to be taken to Reno. Reno is about 120 miles southwest of the festival grounds.
Duggal, his friends, and a driver arranged to be there the following morning when they saw that the rain had not stopped. He said they decided to leave because they feared the toilets might stop working or food would run out.
Duggal said, “We made it but it was hell [walking] in the mud.” “Each step was like walking with two huge cinderblocks in our shoes.”
The National Weather Service reports that up to 0.8 inches of rain fell in Black Rock City, Nevada, between Friday and Saturday morning.
Eddie Codel
Amber Kramer of Kings Beach in California told CNN that she is staying with a group of friends and feels fine “as long as we have water and food.”
Kramer explained, “We are trying to make it work on the roof of the RV.” She worries about those camping in tents, as the forecast calls for more rain.
She said camp leaders have asked RV owners if there is room in their RVs for tent-wearers as they expect another storm. Kramer reported seeing people walking around the camp in mud with garbage bags tied to their feet using duct tape.
Burhorn, a Californian who traveled from San Francisco, said the mud was so thick it “sticks” to shoes, making them feel like “a boot around your foot.” This made it more challenging to get around.
She said she and her friends did not expect rain but only extreme heat. Burhorn said that people stuck in the desert had limited cell service. This made receiving information about weather conditions and updates from festival organizers difficult.
She said, “It was all word of mouth.” “I spoke to my boyfriend who gave me the latest weather report on the phone. I asked, “Can you tell me what is happening in the news?” “We have no idea.
Heavy rains have soaked the Black Rock Desert, causing the mud to be thick. Andrew Hyde
Burhorn added that the mud was so thick it “sticks” to shoes, making them feel like a boot. This makes it difficult to move.
Burhorn noted that people walked from one camp to another to ensure others had enough food and drink. “People still care about each other. It’s like a bubble.”
