Washington, Sept 4 sep (EFE).- Attendees of the annual Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert began leaving on Monday after being stranded over the weekend by heavy rains that flooded the festival grounds with mud.
A sign at the Burning Man festival in Black Rock City, Nevada, USA, 03 September 2023. EFE/EPA/DIANA JENSEN HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES
The evacuations began at 2 p.m. local time as some roads and trails had dried enough to allow vehicular traffic, organizers of the popular festival said on their website.
However, attendees were advised to wait another day to avoid traffic jams.
About 64,000 people remained at the festival site Monday afternoon, organizers said.
Torrential rains overnight Friday and Saturday turned the area into a swamp, leaving hundreds of vehicles, including many RVs, stranded in the desert throughout the weekend.
Roads in and out of Black Rock City, where the festival is held, were closed on Saturday, and organizers urged attendees to find shelter and ration their food and water as it was virtually impossible for vehicles to get around.
People wait in line for a bus to leave the Burning Man festival in Black Rock City, Nevada, USA, 04 September 2023. EFE/EPA/BOOMY JENSEN
The Burning Man festival takes place each year on a dry lake in the Nevada desert, where a temporary city is built, accessible only by a two-lane highway. Participants can engage in a variety of artistic and community activities.
According to some participants, events continued over the past few days despite the weather conditions.
Organizers said the festival is guided by a set of principles, including “civic responsibility,” which states that community members who organize events should take responsibility for the public good and strive to teach participants about their civic responsibilities.
Vehicles in deep mud at the Burning Man festival in Black Rock City, Nevada, USA, 04 September 2023. EFE/EPA/BOOMY JENSEN
Other principles include “immediacy,” “communal effort,” “radical expression,” and “leave no trace.” The use of money is not allowed (although tickets to participate cost hundreds of dollars).
In a statement released today, organizers insisted on the principles: “We are committed to leaving no physical trace of our activities wherever we gather: “Remember to leave no trace and community effort when you leave.”
All participants are expected to pack up everything they have brought and clean up the campsite before leaving the city.EFE
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