Burning Man Festival Turns Deadly in Nevada as Torrential Rain Continues to Fall

Posted: September 4, 2023 6:26 am

It was a deadly day at the popular Burning Man festival on Saturday thanks to torrential rains that soaked the desert location in Nevada. Here is the latest on this developing situation.

Thousands Stranded at Burning Man Festival

Thousands of festival attendees were stranded at the Burning Man festival after heavy rain poured down onto campsites and created mud that measured up to people’s ankles on Saturday. Festival-goers were instructed to shelter in place at the event in the Black Rock Desert. The alert also asked attendees to conserve water, fuel, and food.

The remote area in the northwest corner of the state took on 2 to 3 months worth of rain in a period of just 24 hours on Friday and Saturday. This equated to about 0.8 inches, a rarity in the arid desert. It did not take much rain for the dry ground to turn into mud resembling clay that made the simple act of walking difficult.

Local authorities are also investigating a fatality at the event. The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office did not reveal the details surrounding the death nor did they publicly name the victim. The fatality is currently under investigation.

The roads in and around the festival grounds have been closed due to the rain with more precipitation in the forecast through Sunday. Monday is calling for sunnier and drier conditions.

Black Rock City Cut Off From Outside Access

Burning Man organizers said that they do not know when roads will be passable but they are hoping to have them open by late Monday. The temporary metropolis of Black Rock City is constructed every year in advance of the festival. The specially designed area includes emergency and safety infrastructure. The city remains closed to outside vehicles with the exception of emergency personnel.

The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office warned on Saturday that motorized vehicles are not finding success traveling over the playa, getting stuck in the mud and creating more chaos on the roads. As such, they are advising attendees to remain in place until they have been given the green light to drive safely.

Festival-goers were plodding through the mud barefoot or with plastic bags around their feet in order to reach the central camp area. Attendees are reporting that it feels like walking with cinder blocks attached to the feet because of the depth of the mud.

While no official numbers have been released about the number of people stranded, the festival typically boasts about 70,000 attendees over the weeklong event that started on August 28 this year and is expected to last until September 4. The festival is known for its commitment to the arts and building community. Attendees are getting creative and are now building sculptures out of the mud to pass the time.

Event organizers said on Saturday night that they are bringing in mobile cell trailers to the park area so that attendees can access the internet. They are also hoping to bring in busses to the nearby town of Gerlach with the hopes of transporting those able to walk off the playa to Reno. Some attendees were able to walk out to the main road and arrange transportation out of the playa.

A number of four-wheel drive vehicles with all-terrain tires have been brought in to help with emergency situations. Festival organizers continue to insist that the situation is under control and that they have prepared for weather emergencies such as this.

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