Early arrivals to the Burning Man festival were met with 50-mph winds and a “wall of blowing dust” Saturday as the storm tore through campsites, destroying art and causing four minor injuries. A potential monsoon and flash floods are on this week’s forecast.
As the Chronicle reports, winds created by thunderstorms in the Sierra Nevada began stirring up dust from Great Basin’s lakebed a little after 5 pm Saturday. The National Weather Service’s Reno office issued an advisory, informing the public that wind gusts were steadily moving northward at 30 mph before picking up speed.
As SFGate reports, an hour later, participants were urged to stay away from the playa until the storm passed, as the Black Rock City Airport weather station clocked wind speeds at 52 mph.
“We were expecting 35 mph winds according to the radar we were watching so we made sure everything was secure around our camp,” attendee Angie Peacock told the Chronicle via text. “Very quickly things turned for the worst, It became complete white out conditions. We couldn’t see about 15 feet in front of us.”
“We saw structures being ripped and torn down by the wind speeds even though we buttoned everything down as best as we could,” Peacock continued. “Most of us took shelter, …got into our shipping containers, and then everyone else in RVs … until it blew over then we all came out, went and walked.”
“I want to stress that when things like this happen we don’t get upset or worried,” Peacock told the Chronicle. “We know that our camp will rebuild and that it actually brings us closer together.”
As the Chronicle reports, an attendee wrote on Reddit, “Every popup canopy I’ve seen has been destroyed.”
“Can’t see past my hands; all campers sheltering in place. This is a real one!” another Redditor responded.
“It was all fun and games then we got hit by a flying yurt,” said another.
Black Cloud, a 100-foot long by 50-foot high installation from Ukraine, was destroyed during the storm. The piece, described by the Chronicle as an “8-ton inflatable thundercloud,” consisted of 4,300 yards of fabric accompanied by the sounds of artillery fire, explosions, drones, and military vehicles, as the Reno Gazette Journal reports.
“It was supposed to be a success no less than our work last year, ‘I’m Fine,’” Deynega posted on Facebook in Ukrainian – per the Reno Gazette Journal, using Google Translate. “But then came the apocalypse. ... I was awakened sometime after 5:30 p.m., still not fully awake, I realized that something very bad was happening. There are sharp changes in weather here.”
The Reno Gazette Journal writes that the gates to Black Rock City officially opened Sunday morning, and the wait for entry was seven hours and 20 minutes long as of 11:15 am.
The outlet reports that the gates closed again around 6 pm and were still closed as of 10:15 pm Sunday. Additionally, event organizers said Black Rock City Airport was closed Sunday night and vehicles were prohibited from driving on the playa, per the Reno Gazette Journal.
The Chronicle writes that the National Weather Service issued a warning that potential monsoon thunderstorms and flash flooding may be hitting the playa Sunday through Wednesday as slow-moving storms could release an inch or more of rain in a brief period of time.
“It’s becoming increasingly likely that we could see an even greater flash flood threat,” the weather service wrote online. “If you’re on the playa at the Black Rock Desert, you may very well be in for a muddy mess Monday through Wednesday.”
The Chronicle notes that this brings to mind the 2023 Burning Man in which tens of thousands of attendees were left stranded due to wet and muddy conditions, as reported by SFist.
SFGate is directing readers to Burning Man’s “2023 Wet Playa Survival Guide.”
Image: Burning Man/Facebook
Previously: A Sneak Peek at the Burning Man 2025 Art Projects (Which Are Not Even at Burning Man Yet)
