8/3/23

By Aditi Jha

About 72,000 people were stuck in northern Nevada desert as a rare storm turned the sand into deep mud and prevented the tens of thousands of people from leaving. They were there for Burning Man, an annual festival for the "global ecosystem of artists, makers, and community organizers who co-create art, events, and local initiatives around the world." It's a festival that prioritizes self-expression, communal cooperation, and civic responsibility. It has taken place since 1986 and its name comes from the large wooden effigy that is burned on the second-to-last night. During the event, groups of festivalgoers titled "burners" create "camps" with themes. They do gift-giving, which is the second principle of Burning Man, after radical inclusion and before decommodification. Burning Man organizers reopened the road out of the desert today, stating "Exodus operations have officially begun in Black Rock City. The driving ban has been lifted." 64,000 people decided to stay in the remote desert site for the burning, which was delayed to tonight after the weather conditions yesterday. A regular ticket to Burning Man this year cost $575, though CNBC reported that the overall cost (including lodging, travel, food and costumes) could be about $1500. The festival was scheduled to go from August 27th to September 4th and is held in the Black Rock Desert in northwestern Nevada. Over 0.8 inches of rain fell at the festival between Friday and Saturday. The typical rainfall in that area for the entire month of September is 0.21 inches. "Already, everywhere from Reno up to the Burning Man area, Black Rock, we've already exceeded that; and it's only three days into the month," Mark Deutschendorf, a National Weather Service meteorologist in the city told Al Jazeera. Organizers closed roads on Saturday night. The Pershing County Sheriff's Office is investigating the death of a 40-year-old man who died at the festival. The organizers said that the death was "unrelated to the weather."  Burning Man does not allow the usage of cars and trucks (since 1997), explaining that "over the years, we have seen severe injuries and even death due to vehicle-related accidents." Even the cars leaving Burning Man have taken almost six hours to get out of the site, and the New York Times reports that leaving Burning Man can take up to 12 hours. The participants walked through mud, barefoot or with plastic bags on their feet. The organizers recommended conserving food and water on Monday, also adding that it wouldn't be a good idea to try to walk to County Road 34 because of the large amounts of people leaving Black Rock and that they should leave on Tuesday to avoid traffic. A few people were able to find their way to the nearest town. DJ Diplo and comedian Chris Rock walked 6 miles in the mud before finally getting a ride in a fan's pickup truck. Diplo wrote, "I legit walked the side of the road for hours with my thumb out." The event organizers wrote in an update at 2 p.m. that the roads were still "muddy and may be difficult to navigate in some neighborhoods and down certain streets. Take it slow and mind those directing traffic. Please be patient as you exit through Gate Road, and respect Burning Man staff who are working hard to make the Exodus experience as smooth and safe as possible." 

That's the news for today! Stay safe!