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05/14/2024 03:21:57 pm

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Rare Rainstorm Forces Nevada ‘Burning Man’ Organizers to Reschedule

'Burning Man' in warmer weather

(Photo : Reuters)

A rare bout of rainstorms has forced Burning Man organizers to postpone the supposed start of the week-long festival on Monday as thousands of festivalgoers are stuck in Reno, Nevada until further notice.

According to Tweets from organizers of the annual event, the Burning Man has been reset to begin around midday on Tuesday as standing water made the Black Rock Desert playa a muddy wasteland.

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"Organizers of the annual Burning Man event are asking any participants traveling to the event now to postpone their arrival until at least Tuesday morning," organizers wrote on the Burning Man Facebook page.

A Reno Gazette Journal correspondent, who had arrived in the area prior to the storm, reported that the rain which began at 6 in the morning had left the playa muddy. As a result, it is impossible for riders to drive in.

In normal weather, it usually takes around three hours travel time from Reno to Black Rock, though Monday's unexpected turn of events trapped Burners on the road for nearly seven hours.

Those who were unfortunately on their way to Nevada's Black Rock desert during the rainstorm had to endure three-mile traffic on State Highway 447 as they headed back to Reno to look for a place to stay overnight.

To make things worse, many hotels in Reno, which is by far the closest city to the Black Rock Desert with an airport, reported that they were already fully booked on Monday evening.

The annual Burning Man attracts an average of 50,000 people every year with tickets priced at around $380.

Unfortunately, patrons of the yearly cultural even will not be issued refunds due to the terms of agreement which cite that the "BRC is not liable for acts of God, the weather, strikes, protests, or actions taken by government agencies and similar causes."

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