This year's Burning Man festival in Nevada's Black Rock Desert appears to have been a washout in the literal sense of the word.
Over 73,000 participants have found themselves trapped, caked in mud and fending for themselves, as the iconic desert site was transformed by rains into a treacherous slimy mud bath. Moreover, the organizers of the music and arts festival, scrambling to manage the crisis decided to block the festivalgoers, warning them that they were pretty much on their own and ought to "conserve food and water, shelter in a warm space." That being said, temperatures in the desert had dipped to hover at around the 50s °F.
An urgent directive for attendees to "shelter in place" was issued by the Bureau of Land Management, responsible for the event's location.
There has already been one death "during this rain event," with the Pershing County sheriff’s office saying an investigation had been launched. All attendees will be able to leave the festival grounds as of Monday morning, organizers said. After the situation reached a point where President Joe Biden was briefed, Nevada’s National Guard offered its assistance to the organizers. However, Marian Goodell, CEO of Burning Man Project, dismissed all the "fuss."
The large wooden effigy that was supposed to have been burned Saturday night in the traditional event of the festival has since been postponed to Monday night.
All attendees will be able to leave the festival grounds as of Monday morning, organizers said.