No Longer Stranded: Burning Man Floods Prompt Tens of Thousands to Clean Up and Head Home – WFTV

The traffic congestion at the Burning Man festival in Nevada eased on Tuesday as partygoers stranded by heavy rain began to leave. Organizers urged attendees to delay their exit to help ease traffic. Wait times decreased from five hours to two to three hours by Tuesday morning. SCOTT SONNER, ED KOMENDA and GABE STERN reported

Traffic Eases as Burning Man Exodus Continues Following Massive Rain

RENO, Nev. — The traffic congestion caused by the departure of attendees from the Burning Man festival has significantly improved on Tuesday after days of being stuck in the mud-caked Nevada desert due to heavy rain. Tens of thousands of partygoers were left stranded, but now the situation is gradually improving as the exodus enters its second day.

One particularly challenging experience was faced by two brothers from Arizona who brought their 67-year-old mother to Burning Man for the first time. They spent a grueling 11 hours trying to leave the festival site, which is located approximately 110 miles (177 kilometers) north of Reno. Phillip Martin, 47, described the weather as being perfect and typical of Burning Man until Friday when heavy rain turned the festival into a muddy mess, dubbing it “Mud Fest.”

In an effort to alleviate the traffic congestion, event organizers started allowing vehicles to leave the festival site on the main road from 2 p.m. local time on Monday. However, they also encouraged attendees to delay their departure to help manage the traffic flow more effectively. By Tuesday morning, the wait times had decreased from around five hours to two to three hours, as reported by the official Burning Man account on X (formerly known as Twitter).

The Burning Man festival, which began on August 27 and was originally scheduled to end on Monday morning, attracts nearly 80,000 artists, musicians, and activists to the remote Black Rock Desert every year. Participants come together to build a temporary city filled with art installations and enjoy various forms of self-expression. The highlight of the event is the burning of a towering effigy and a temple dedicated to the deceased.

While some attendees visit the desert for a week to immerse themselves in music and art or reconnect with nature, others attend for the psychedelic party experience, complete with hallucinogens and nudity, before the ceremonial burnings take place.

This year, the festival faced unexpected challenges due to the heavy rain that began on Friday. The rain resulted in flooding, turning the playa (the desert floor) into ankle-deep mud. Roads were closed, leaving participants stranded and relying on each other for support. Burning Man emphasizes self-sufficiency, but many attendees arrived with limited supplies, expecting the usual challenges of extreme heat and dust storms, not torrential rain.

While the festival has experienced disruptions in the past, such as temporary closures due to dust storms in 2018 and cancellations during the pandemic, this year’s rain posed significant challenges. Mark Fromson, 54, known as “Stuffy” during the festival, had to seek shelter at another camp after his RV was affected by the rain. He praised the spirit of Burning Man, which revolves around the unconditional giving of gifts, and was grateful for the support and assistance provided by fellow burners.

The road closures occurred just before the scheduled ceremonial fires were set to start on Saturday night. The fires were subsequently postponed to allow authorities to reopen exit routes by the end of the Labor Day weekend. “The Man” was eventually torched on Monday night, while the burning of the temple was scheduled for 8 p.m. Tuesday. The temple burning holds a more intimate and spiritual significance, as attendees leave remembrances and symbols of departed loved ones to be consumed by the flames.

The heavy rain also posed challenges for emergency responders, who had to contend with difficult access to certain areas. Tragically, a man identified as 32-year-old Leon Reece passed away during the event. However, authorities have stated that weather conditions did not contribute to his death. The cause of death is pending the results of an autopsy, which typically takes six to eight weeks to complete.

Despite the difficulties caused by the rain, most participants remained at the festival site, conserving their food and water supplies. Some managed to walk several miles to the nearest town or secure rides from others. Many turned to the official Black Rock City radio station, BMIR 94.5 FM, to request rides to Reno, San Francisco, and other nearby cities. The radio station provided information about stranded individuals and facilitated cost-sharing arrangements for fuel and food.

Alexander Elmendorf, 36, who was staying at a campsite with trailers, RVs, and an aerial rig, expressed his commitment to helping with the cleanup efforts. He estimated that around 15,000 people remained on the playa on Tuesday afternoon, although some of his friends believed the number was closer to 20,000. Elmendorf, who has attended Burning Man three times before, noted that in previous years, staff had urged attendees to leave promptly. However, this year, people seem to be taking their time to depart.

As the event draws to a close, the ground has mostly dried up, losing the moisture that had turned it into a muddy terrain. Elmendorf’s crew had set up a mist tent, which had become the “driest spot in camp” after the rain. He anticipated that the cleanup effort would require significant work from everyone involved to ensure that all debris and traces of the event were removed.

In conclusion, the traffic situation leaving Burning Man has improved, and participants are gradually making their way out of the mud-caked desert. Despite the challenges posed by heavy rain and resulting flooding, the Burning Man spirit of communal support and self-expression endured. As the festival comes to a close, attendees will carry with them memories of both the hardships faced and the unique experiences shared..