Rain caused a "very mucky, muddy" environment and made it difficult to walk at Burning Man, attendee says
From CNN's Michelle Watson
Andrew Hyde, an attendee stuck at the Burning Man festival in Nevada, said rain has made walking in the mud difficult, but that the harsh weather has taken the meaning of the event back to its roots.
In an interview with CNN's Paula Newton, Hyde said rain created a "very mucky, muddy, terrible environment where you could barely walk."
Despite not being able to walk very well through the mud, Hyde said morale at the event is OK, and that there's generally "no panic" among fellow attendees.
He also said that part of the event is to deal with harsh climate "and you prepare for that. So in many ways, everybody here just kind of made friends with their neighbors and it's a community event."
"I think almost everybody really enjoyed having it be extremely harsh, and we don't know what's going to happen tonight though, and that's the big concern," Hyde said, speaking Saturday evening.
If there's a medical emergency or if people urgently need to flee, there are ways to do so, Hyde said. "There's ways to get you out of here," he told CNN. "The only vehicles allowed on the roads right now are ambulances."
On Saturday tens of thousands of people attending the Burning Man festival were asked by festival organizers to conserve food, water and fuel as they shelter in place in the Black Rock Desert after a heavy rainstorm pummeled the area, CNN previously reported.
"I think the concern is if we have another, another rain, people really need to get out. People need to go back to their jobs or, you know, back to the responsibilities they have back home. And if they're delayed another four days, you know, two days, four days, whatever it ends up being — that's pretty concerning," Hyde said.
32 min ago
Sheriff's office investigating death at Burning Man
From CNN's Michelle Watson
The Pershing County, Nevada, sheriff's office is investigating a death that happened during ongoing rain at the Burning Man festival this weekend, the agency said in a news release.
"The Pershing County Sheriff's Office is currently investigating a death which occurred during this rain event. The family has been notified and the death is under investigation," the release said.
Authorities did not publicly name the person or provide details on the circumstances of the death, including whether it was related to the weather.
“The family has been notified and the death is under investigation,” the sheriff’s office said in a late Saturday news release.
Tens of thousands of people attending the Burning Man festival were asked by organizers Saturday to conserve food, water and fuel as they shelter in place in the Black Rock Desert after a heavy rainstorm pummeled the area, CNN previously reported.
"There is more rain forecast for the next few days which could cause further delays and disruptions for participants attempting to leave the Festival as well as other operations within the Festival," the Pershing County Sheriff's Office release said.
Authorities are also working to provide better cell phone service to the area so people "can call their loved ones or make travel arrangements," the release said.
10 min ago
Gates and airport remained closed overnight as roads were still too wet for vehicles, organizers say
From CNN's Michelle Watson
A motorist attempts to drive through mud at Burning Man festival on September 2. Trevor Hughes/USA Today Network
The gate and airport in and out of Black Rock City, where thousands of attendees are stranded by heavy rains at the Burning Man festival, remained closed overnight, organizers said in an update.
"The gate and airport in and out of Black Rock City remain closed," organizers said on X, formerly known as Twitter, around 3:30 a.m. local time (6:30 a.m. ET). "Ingress and egress are halted until further notice. No driving is permitted except emergency vehicles."
Event officials said in a Saturday evening update that there's no timeline on when the roads surrounding the area will be dry enough for people to drive on.
"We do not currently have an estimated time for the roads to be dry enough for RVs or vehicles to navigate safely. Monday late in the day would be possible if weather conditions are in our favor. It could be sooner," the event said.
The event officials also reiterated that those still at the location of Burning Man need to continue to conserve "food, water, and fuel" and "take shelter in a warm, safe place."
Thousands of people are stranded in the Nevada desert after heavy rains swamped the annual Burning Man festival, leaving thick, ankle-deep mud.
Attendees were told to shelter in place in the Black Rock Desert and conserve food, water and fuel. Officials have halted all traffic aside from emergency vehicles from entering or leaving the festival.
The remote area in northwest Nevada was hit with 2 to 3 months’ worth of rain in just 24 hours from Friday to Saturday morning. More is anticipated Sunday afternoon.
Authorities are investigating a death "which occurred during this rain event," according to the sheriff's office — though it is unclear if the death was related to the storms.
Andrew Hyde, an attendee stuck at the Burning Man festival in Nevada, said rain has made walking in the mud difficult, but that the harsh weather has taken the meaning of the event back to its roots.
In an interview with CNN's Paula Newton, Hyde said rain created a "very mucky, muddy, terrible environment where you could barely walk."
Despite not being able to walk very well through the mud, Hyde said morale at the event is OK, and that there's generally "no panic" among fellow attendees.
He also said that part of the event is to deal with harsh climate "and you prepare for that. So in many ways, everybody here just kind of made friends with their neighbors and it's a community event."
"I think almost everybody really enjoyed having it be extremely harsh, and we don't know what's going to happen tonight though, and that's the big concern," Hyde said, speaking Saturday evening.
If there's a medical emergency or if people urgently need to flee, there are ways to do so, Hyde said. "There's ways to get you out of here," he told CNN. "The only vehicles allowed on the roads right now are ambulances."
On Saturday tens of thousands of people attending the Burning Man festival were asked by festival organizers to conserve food, water and fuel as they shelter in place in the Black Rock Desert after a heavy rainstorm pummeled the area, CNN previously reported.
"I think the concern is if we have another, another rain, people really need to get out. People need to go back to their jobs or, you know, back to the responsibilities they have back home. And if they're delayed another four days, you know, two days, four days, whatever it ends up being — that's pretty concerning," Hyde said.
The Pershing County, Nevada, sheriff's office is investigating a death that happened during ongoing rain at the Burning Man festival this weekend, the agency said in a news release.
"The Pershing County Sheriff's Office is currently investigating a death which occurred during this rain event. The family has been notified and the death is under investigation," the release said.
Authorities did not publicly name the person or provide details on the circumstances of the death, including whether it was related to the weather.
“The family has been notified and the death is under investigation,” the sheriff’s office said in a late Saturday news release.
Tens of thousands of people attending the Burning Man festival were asked by organizers Saturday to conserve food, water and fuel as they shelter in place in the Black Rock Desert after a heavy rainstorm pummeled the area, CNN previously reported.
"There is more rain forecast for the next few days which could cause further delays and disruptions for participants attempting to leave the Festival as well as other operations within the Festival," the Pershing County Sheriff's Office release said.
Authorities are also working to provide better cell phone service to the area so people "can call their loved ones or make travel arrangements," the release said.
A motorist attempts to drive through mud at Burning Man festival on September 2. Trevor Hughes/USA Today Network
The gate and airport in and out of Black Rock City, where thousands of attendees are stranded by heavy rains at the Burning Man festival, remained closed overnight, organizers said in an update.
"The gate and airport in and out of Black Rock City remain closed," organizers said on X, formerly known as Twitter, around 3:30 a.m. local time (6:30 a.m. ET). "Ingress and egress are halted until further notice. No driving is permitted except emergency vehicles."
Event officials said in a Saturday evening update that there's no timeline on when the roads surrounding the area will be dry enough for people to drive on.
"We do not currently have an estimated time for the roads to be dry enough for RVs or vehicles to navigate safely. Monday late in the day would be possible if weather conditions are in our favor. It could be sooner," the event said.
The event officials also reiterated that those still at the location of Burning Man need to continue to conserve "food, water, and fuel" and "take shelter in a warm, safe place."
