Chaos in Nevada Desert As 'Burning Man' 2023 Turns Into 'Soggy Man'

More than 70,000 people were trapped after a deluge of more than 1/2 inch of rain fell on a playa in the Black Rock Desert where the Burning Man 2023 festival was taking place. With another quarter inch of rain expected Sunday, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management blocked access to the site, and authorities advised the trapped festival-goers to shelter in place and conserve what little food they had.

Nevada authorities were investigating a death “which occurred during this rain event.” “The family has been notified and the death is under investigation,” the sheriff’s office said in a late Saturday news release.

“The Playa is an ancient lake bed and when wet, can be impassable. Vehicles can get very stuck due to the fine silt and clay minerals that exist on the Playa,” Nevada’s Bureau of Land Management announced in a Facebook post. “Stuck vehicles can also impact the Playa ecosystem. Additionally, cell service can be spotty and towing services are limited. Stay off the wet Playa and stay unstuck!”

BREAKING: Terrible footage from yesterday. When you travel to Burning Man for fun in the desert and it rains six inches and floods, and you believe you'll just drive out of the muck in your Jeep Wrangler.#BurningMan #BurningMan2023 #BurningManFestival pic.twitter.com/q873dYhHPF

— EvoCentral (@evocentralnews) September 3, 2023

Burning Man 2023 is now declared a national emergency by the US government. Over 70,000 people are stranded at Black Rock City in Nevada.
pic.twitter.com/9moPqyFcKJ

— Antonio Sabato Jr (@AntonioSabatoJr) September 3, 2023

Sorry pal, but there is no “national emergency” because of rain. I doubt whether Washington gives a flying fig about what’s happening in the Nevada desert.

🚨#BREAKING: Burning Man Festival Declares National Emergency as over 73,000 Campers are trapped Urged to Shelter in Place Amid Flooding Crisis

📌#Blackrock | #Nevada

Currently, more than 73,000 festival attendees and campers are trapped with no access in or out of the… pic.twitter.com/gMxoFiFKdm

— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) September 2, 2023

Meanwhile, 70,000 people are trying to keep the Burning Man faith in the mud and the muck.

“Burning Man is a community of people who are prepared to support one another,” Burning Man said on its website. “We have come here knowing this is a place where we bring everything we need to survive. It is because of this that we are all well-prepared for a weather event like this.”

“We have done table-top drills for events like this,” organizers added. “We are engaged full-time on all aspects of safety and looking ahead to our Exodus as our next priority.”

SFGate: