Chris Rock is among the thousands who are trapped at the Burning Man Festival after a heavy rainstorm pummeled Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, triggering a “shelter in place” order and for attendees to conserve food and water.
The 58-year-old comedian has been documenting the experience on his Instagram Stories, which included a since-expired Story in which he shared that “because of the flooding, the port-o-potties reportedly can’t be emptied. And because the gates are closed, people can’t get in to fill generators or deliver supplies.”
Rock later posted, on Saturday morning, a short video showing the heavy mud making it impossible to get around the area. Another attendee posted a video on TikTok showing him walking in ankle-deep mud. The Burning Man X account on Friday offered a grim update.
“For anyone in BRC, help each other stay safe. The gate and airport in and out of Black Rock City remain closed,” the tweet read. “Ingress and egress are halted for the time being. Stay prepared for adverse weather conditions continuing through the night and into Saturday.”
The area was rocked with heavy rain Friday night and into Saturday morning. As of Saturday afternoon, only emergency vehicles are allowed to go in and out of Black Rock City in northwest Nevada.
Festival organizers have said more rain is expected overnight Saturday, with rain and thunderstorms expected to batter the area early Sunday morning and continue into the afternoon. According to the National Weather Service, a flash flood watch will remain in effect in the area through Monday morning.
There’s upwards of 70,000 attendees at Burning Man, and at this point it’s unclear when they’ll be given the clear to go home. The Burning Man Festival — described as “a global ecosystem of artists, makers, and community organizers who co-create art, events, and local initiatives” — commenced the summer of 1986 in San Francisco. The festival moved to Nevada in 1991.
This year’s festival kicked off Wednesday and it was slated to run until Monday.
RELATED CONTENT:
Subaru recalls nearly 70,000 vehicles for a potential fuel leak. Rising ambient temperatures could cause…
Researchers at Yale School of Medicine (YSM) are drawing attention to a powerful and preventable…
RAD stands for Rivian Adventure Department. The team is comprised of Rivian designers, engineers, and…
Growing older brings a higher risk of serious illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, and…
After an 'overwhelming' response, AUDI is struggling in China. The company is slashing prices for…
As concerns grow about the environmental and health impacts of plastic waste, scientists are accelerating…