Burning Man Closed Temporarily Due to Heavy Rain
After torrential rains and thunderstorms, Burning Man has been shut down by organizers until at least midday Tuesday and no one is allowed into the festival.
Beginning this morning, event organizers Black Rock City, LLC (BRC) told drivers to stop their journey into the desert due to unsafe weather conditions. Cars have been told to turn back at Wadsworth, Nevada, which is approximately 30 minutes past Reno. Burners already inside the gates are asked to stay in place.
It has been a rocky start to Burning Man this year, which experienced wait times up to four hours last night to enter the festival grounds. Organizers attempted to resolve the problem with an earlier start this year to alleviate traffic congestion.
BRC is closed until midday Tuesday due to rain and standing water. Playa is un-drivable. Law enforcement is turning cars back.
— Burning Man (@burningman) August 25, 2014
“Playa out there is mucky, muddy stuff. With rain attached to it, people get stuck everywhere,” said Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Dan Lopez in an interview with the Reno Gazette-Journal. Nearly 70,000 people are expected to attend the event this week.
While rain is somewhat rare on the Playa, it is not unheard of—last year, rain halted some prep work before the event. The good news is that Burning Man should be dry for the rest of the week. However, there is a chance that high winds could kick up by Saturday.
READ MORE: 41 Awesome Burning Man Instagram Photos
