Storms Swamp Burning Man Festival in Nevada, Confining Attendees

Thunderstorms struck the annual Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert on Friday, September 1, confining thousands of attendees to wet conditions as organizers closed the gate and the site’s temporary airport.

Further storms were expected to hit the Black Rock City area through Saturday and into Sunday evening, according to the National Weather Service.

On Friday evening, the Burning Man Project said the storms meant no one was able to leave or arrive at the Black Rock City site. They urged attendees to “conserve food, water, and fuel, and shelter in a warm, safe space.”

On Saturday afternoon, they said access would be closed for the remainder of the event, which was scheduled to end on Monday.

This footage from Debora Domass, a German national and New York City resident, shows conditions during a break in the rain on Saturday. Domass told Storyful her tent was flooded and that she and fellow attendees fought to stop their tent structure from collapsing amid torrential rain.

Domass feared that she would be trapped at the site until Tuesday, forcing her to miss a flight home, after officials indicated travel would only be possible after 24 hours of dry weather. Credit: Debora Domass via Storyful

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