Burning Man attendees are advised to ‘shelter in place’ and conserve food and water due to heavy rain

Burning Man attendees were advised to “shelter in place” and save food and water on Friday due to persistent heavy rains in the Black Rock Desert in northwestern Nevada.

As of Friday evening, travel to and from Black Rock City has been halted. The gate and the airport were also closed, organizers said.

Burning Man is a self-expression event that culminates in the burning of a 40ft effigy. This practice originated with the 1986 burning of an 8-foot-tall wooden “man” on Baker Beach in San Francisco, which has become an annual event in the Black Rock Desert.

Driving in Black Rock City is prohibited except for emergency vehicles.

“Stay prepared for adverse weather conditions that will continue through the night and into Saturday,” organizers said. tweeted Friday.

Heavy rains hit the state Friday, with a threat of flash flooding threatening eastern, north-central, northeast and south-central Nevada, according to the National Weather Service.

“The threat of flash flooding increases for the Labor Day holiday weekend as a slow upper-level trough draws in tropical/monsoonal humidity,” the agency said in an update on Saturday. Morning. “This will fuel several rounds of showers and thunderstorms bringing heavy precipitation to northern and central Nevada.”

The flash flood watch will remain in effect in the area until Monday morning.

Overnight, Black Rock City received about 0.6 to 0.8 inches of rain, according to a Saturday morning update from organizers.

“The low pressure system responsible for yesterday’s rain has moved west leaving us today with partly sunny skies and light winds. However, the rain is returning early Sunday morning and continues throughout the month. afternoon as the low pressure system moves east through Black Rock City and leaves the area,” according to the update.