Thousands of people stuck in the Nevada desert due to flooding: one person died

Thousands of people are unable to leave Nevada's Burning Man desert festival after heavy rains flooded their campgrounds on September 2. Police said they were investigating a death at the festival. Writes about it CNN.

Photo: IStock

Festival attendees were told to take shelter in the Black Rock Desert and stock up on food, water and fuel after a rainstorm swept through the area, forcing authorities to suspend entry and exit from the festival.

In a remote area in northwestern Nevada, 1-2 months' worth of precipitation fell in just 2 hours from the morning of September 3 to September 0,8 - up to 2 inches (XNUMX cm). Heavy rainfall hit the dry desert area, creating thick, clay-like mud that festivalgoers said was very difficult to navigate on foot or by bike.

“More rain is expected over the next few days, and conditions are not expected to improve enough to allow vehicles to enter the area,” the Bureau of Land Management said in a statement.

The Pershing County Sheriff's Office said it was investigating the "death that occurred during the rain." The police did not publicly name the person and did not provide details about the circumstances of the death.

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“The family has been notified and the death remains under investigation,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

The authorities did not provide information on the timing of the resumption of traffic on the roads, but after heavy rains on September 3, sunny weather is expected to return on Monday, September 4.

“We currently have no indication of when roads will be dry enough for RVs and cars to travel safely,” Burning Man organizers said in a statement. — If weather conditions are favorable, then September 4 at the end of the day. This could happen earlier."

The organizers noted that the rain that fell on the already saturated field on September 3 "will affect the time it takes for the field to dry out."

For now, the gates and airport at Black Rock City remain closed and entry into and exit from the city is prohibited except for emergency vehicles. Black Rock City is a temporary metropolis that is built annually for the festival and equipped with emergency rescue and sanitation infrastructure.

The rain "made it nearly impossible for motorized vehicles to travel," the Pershing County Sheriff's Office said, noting that people were advised to shelter in place until the ground was dry enough to travel safely.

“If you are in Black Rock City, please shelter in place and stay safe,” organizers said.

Difficult conditions, but many remain optimistic

Some festival participants walked miles through thick mud to reach the main roads, while others remained in their camps, hoping for better conditions.

Hanna Burhorn, who attended the festival for the first time, that people waded through the mud barefoot or with bags tied around their feet.

“People tried to bike through it and got stuck because it was about ankle deep,” Burhorn said. “The mud is so thick that it sticks to the shoe and becomes almost like a boot around the shoe.”

Exactly how many people are stuck at the festival is unknown, but usually more than 70 people take part in it. This year it runs from August 28 to September 4.

Amar Singh Duggal and his friends were able to leave the festival after walking about 2 miles (3,2 km) through mud. He estimated that it took them about 2 hours to reach the main road, where they were picked up and taken to Reno, located 120 miles (193 km) from the festival site.

“We made it, but it was absolute hell walking through the mud,” Duggal said. “Every step we took felt like we had two big cinder blocks on our feet.”

In the meantime, members who would normally dedicate their time to creativity are now also focused on rationing inventory and resolving connectivity issues.

“Due to the weather, many campers are trying to cancel flights and arrange extended stays,” Burhorn said.

However, poor conditions did not hinder creativity.

“People build sculptures out of mud,” she said.

Andrew Hyde, another Burning Man attendee, said that despite conditions making walking difficult, the weather brought back the meaning of the event to its roots.

“You come here to be in a harsh climate and you prepare for it,” Hyde said. “So in a lot of ways, everyone here has just become friends with their neighbors, and it’s still a community event.”

According to Hyde, the morale of the participants in the event is normal, and in general there is no panic among them, and the music resumed during the night.

However, there are fears that additional rain will cause delays, and the uncertainty of worsening conditions is worrying.

“I think the concern is that it could rain again,” he said. “People need to go back to their jobs, to their responsibilities that they have at home.”

Attracted help

The organizers announced that they will place mobile mobile trailers at various positions, set up a Wi-Fi system for public access, and send buses to take people who managed to get out to Reno.

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Organizers also allocate funds for four-wheel drive vehicles and all-terrain vehicles in case of an emergency.

According to the Pershing County Sheriff, on the evening of September 2, some people managed to get to the main road, and they were waiting for transport from the organizers of the festival.

To provide medical assistance to people on the festival grounds, forces and resources were brought in from all over Northern Nevada.

“Burning Man is a community of people willing to support each other,” says the Burning Man website. “We came here knowing that this is the place where we will bring everything we need to survive. That’s why we are all well prepared for weather events like these.”

“We conduct drills for events like this,” organizers added. “We are constantly addressing all aspects of security.”

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