Burning Man faces washout as Tropical Storm Hilary hits Nevada desert site – leaving it completely drenched and organizers warn that roads could be blocked
The Burning Man venue faces a washout as post-tropical storm Hilary drenches Nevada in the week before the iconic desert art festival kicks off.
Organizers were busy thinking about next steps Monday when Black Rock City in the northern Nevada desert flooded and roads leading to the pop-up town were closed.
About 80,000 people are expected at the open-air anti-capitalist art fair that begins on September 27 and lasts through September 4. event.
As Hilary moved northeast from Southern California early Monday, battering the areas of San Diego, Palm Springs and Los Angeles, it crossed the border into Nevada, where a preemptive state of emergency was declared.
An update on Sunday evening made it clear that Gate Road, an access road to the festival site, would be closed until at least Monday afternoon and possibly later depending on storm surges.
At the moment, this announcement mainly concerns workers setting up the grounds and installing various elements of the festival.
Parts of Nevada have been flooded after Hilary moved into the state on Monday morning
Due to the rain forecast from Sunday 20/8 to Monday 21/8, the gate will be closed at least until 12 noon on Monday 21/8. If you were planning to travel to BRC with a Work Access Pass, postpone your plans. It can take over 12 hours for the playa to dry, so be patient. More info to follow,” read a tweet from an account called Burning Man Traffic.
Videos coming out of Black Rock City Monday morning show the flooding of the desert as rain pounds the area, drenching many of the ephemeral structures that have been installed so far.
The event won’t start until Sunday and Hilary is expected to disappear from Monday afternoon to Tuesday, but it remains to be seen how long it will take for Black Rock City to dry.
Significant delays could affect organizers’ preparedness as visitors begin to arrive this weekend.
The riddle on the Burning Man grounds is the latest development from Hilary, who, while working through Southern California, flooded Dodger Stadium, cut off Palm Springs residents’ ability to call 911, and caused hundreds of flight cancellations from San Diego. Phoenix, and Las Vegas.
Over the weekend in Nevada, Governor Joe Lombardo declared a state of emergency after sending 100 National Guardsmen to southern Nevada last week to prepare for the storm.
Hilary’s trail was driven north to Black Rock City, which is in the upper part of the state. Hilary rains are expected to travel as far north as Idaho, Montana and Oregon.
“My administration will continue to work diligently with state, federal, tribal and local partners in preparation for and response to this storm,” Lombardo said in a statement.
“Hurricane Hilary poses a serious threat to our communities, and again I implore all Nevada residents to prepare for flooding, remain vigilant, and follow all guidance from state and local emergency officials.”
Floods watch in the Southwest as Hilary continues to storm desert regions. Early Monday, the storm will move to Nevada, where a state of emergency has been declared
Burning Man organizers may or may not tolerate a stormy hit on their schedule this year, after tickets were sold at deep discounts following a festival last year that frustrated many loyal fans.
In a typical year, tickets to the free-spirited festival sell for $575, in addition to $150 parking tickets. This year, however, resellers were offering rates starting at $139, with parking passes also discounted.
SFGate reported that some loyal Burners were less optimistic about the festival this year for a number of reasons, including tech layoffs, an influx of influencers at the event and concerns about the weather – which appear to have been confirmed on Monday.
“Last year’s Burn was hot and hard, which is part of the trendline Earth is on,” Longtime Burner Linda Williamson told SFGate.
Williamson first attended Burning Man in 1997 but won’t be going back this year, citing a logistical nightmare last year that resulted in a 10-hour traffic jam trying to return to civilization after the event.
“You have to spend a whole day on the process to get to the curb,” Williamson said. “I’d like to be able to go, but I’d also like to be able to leave.”
Last year, some Burners reported waiting as long as 12 hours to get away from camp, and photos from the event show monstrous traffic jams stretching across the desert.
Paris Hilton was featured on Burning Man last year. Since many Burners like to take years off between attending, the pandemic break may have reset the cycle and caused 2023 to be an off-year