Tens of thousands of Burning Man festival attendees faced a challenging journey home from the Nevada desert due to heavy rain causing muddy conditions over the weekend. Here’s what happened.
6 Hour Tail-Backs
On September 4th, an announcement was made allowing festivalgoers to leave, but it took vehicles six hours or more to navigate the muddy roads, leading to long backups.
Two Months of Rain in TWO Days
The Black Rock Desert in Nevada experienced an unusual two months’ worth of rainfall in just two days, starting on September 1st.
70,000 Stranded
This left over 70,000 festival attendees stranded, trying to leave Black Rock City, the temporary community created for the festival.
Stay Put
Hosts on Burning Man Information Radio advised festivalgoers not to move in the early hours of September 4th to avoid getting stuck.
Death on the Rock
Unfortunately, there was one reported casualty. On September 4th, the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the death of Leon Reece, aged 32, at the festival. T
he cause and manner of his death were still undetermined at that time.
No Need to Panic
Marian Goodell, the CEO of Burning Man, reassured everyone that the situation was under control and there was no need to panic.
Biden Informed
President Biden was informed of the situation, and government officials closely monitored the developments.
Self-Expression
Burning Man is an annual event where participants gather for nine days to create a temporary community centered around self-expression and self-reliance.
30+ Years of Tradition
It has been held in Nevada since 1991, attracting dreamers, artists, tech founders, celebrities, and more.
How Much?
This year’s Burning Man started on August 28th and was scheduled to run until September 5th, with tickets priced starting at $575 per person.
Closed Gates
However, heavy rainfall turned the desert into a muddy quagmire, making it impossible for vehicles to navigate.
The event organizers closed the gate and airport to incoming and outgoing traffic, advising attendees to conserve supplies and find shelter.
Rallying Together
Conditions improved gradually, with roads in Black Rock City expected to open for Exodus on September 4th.
The Burning Man community rallied together to support one another during the challenging circumstances.
Celebrities Battled Mud and Quicksand
Comedian Chris Rock and DJ Diplo, along with other celebrities, had to venture through the mud to leave the event.
Hitching a Ride
They eventually hitched a ride with a fan to return to Reno, 100 miles away.
The pair had journeyed six miles through the desert on September 2nd to escape the difficult conditions and mud, which some had likened to quicksand.
Celebrities Brave the Elements
Diplo commented “My camp had some celebrities nearby, so we ventured out with Josh Kushner, Karlie Kloss, Cindy Crawford and Chris Rock and some writers, and we just decided to all go together.”
Small Victory
Diplo had told NBC News correspondent Liz Kreutz on TODAY “It felt like we had a little victory, a little battle that day, and it felt nice.”
Walked for Hours
According to Diplo, he and Rock had “walked the side of the road for hours” because Diplo didn’t want to miss a show he was performing at in Washington, D.C.
Half and Half
“The Killing” actor Joel Kinnaman and fiancée Kelly Gale were also at the event.
On September 3rd, Gale had posted a photo of her, Kinnaman, and others in the mud, writing, “Right before our camp/friends split up. Half of us stayed and half of us left.
Prayers for Safe Exit
Felt so difficult leaving but the good thing was making sure there would be enough food and water for those who stayed. Praying for everyone to stay safe and get out safely.”
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The post A Festival-Turned Nightmare – Burning Man’s Muddy Exodus first appeared on Wealthy Living.
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Source: MSN