Thousands of individuals found themselves stranded in the waterlogged festival grounds of Burning Man following heavy rainfall over the weekend. The normally dry landscape of the Nevada desert was transformed into a muddy campsite due to torrential rain brought by Tropical Storm Hilary. The annual 9-day festival, popular among tech bros and celebrities, typically attracts 70,000 festival-goers known as “burners.” This year, due to concerns about the weather, tickets were being sold secondhand at a discounted price of $250, $400 below the original asking price. The festival was not only plagued by bad weather but also faced protests from climate activists who demanded the banning of single-use plastics and private jets.
Festival-goers were instructed by organizers to take shelter, conserve their resources, and support their fellow attendees. Videos and photos circulated on social media capturing the extent of the damage caused by the rain, including flooded festival grounds and water pouring through the roof of structures. On Saturday, entry to the festival was closed off due to the worsening conditions. The Bureau of Land Management announced that no additional festival-goers would be allowed entry for the remainder of the event.
Despite attempts to alleviate the situation, many festival-goers remained stranded as the roads were deemed too wet for vehicles to leave. The festival’s usual closing Exodus, where attendees would depart en masse, was also affected. Mobile cell service trailers and buses were deployed to assist the thousands of stranded individuals. Tragically, the Pershing County Sheriff reported a death that occurred during the rain event and has launched an investigation.
While some made light of the situation, others described the experience as harrowing. Law professor Neal Katyal, in a post on social media, referred to his journey out of Burning Man as incredibly challenging and advised against attempting it unless physically fit and part of a group.
Despite the challenges faced, many attendees remained resilient and carried on with their daily activities, albeit with limited resources and amenities.
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