LAS VEGAS — Mother Nature has not been a friend to this year’s Burning Man festivalgoers so far.
From this weekend’s ferocious dust storms to high heat and humidity to the possibility of rain and flooding in the coming days, it has been an eventful start to the annual event in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert.
Strong dust storms and 50 mph wind gusts ripped through Black Rock City on Saturday, wreaking havoc on campsites and causing major travel delays in the area. The National Weather Service issued a dust storm advisory Saturday evening, saying that “a wall of blowing dust” was tracking northward.
Four minor injuries were reported as a result of the wind and dust, a Burning Man spokesperson confirmed to NBC News.
The storms snarled traffic as high winds and low visibility forced officials to close the gates into Black Rock City. But for attendees who were already inside, the blowing dust whipped across the desert playa, overturning many campsites and scattering belongings.
“If you are in Black Rock City, batten down the hatches, take care of your camp, and do not drive,” the official Burning Man account that tracks traffic conditions into and out of Black Rock City warned Saturday on X.
“50 mile an hour sustained wind for over an hour with higher gusts. The desert is always trying to kill you,” one attendee wrote on Facebook, adding that it was “definitely the scariest experience” at Burning Man.
An estimated 70,000 people are expected to travel to Black Rock City for the festival, which runs through Sept. 1.
On Sunday, the festival’s first day, temperatures neared 100 degrees Fahrenheit, together with humidity levels at around 57% for parts of northern Nevada. The National Weather Service issued another dust advisory that evening, forecasting 50 mph winds and less than 1 mile of visibility for parts of central Nevada.
Rain and possible thunderstorms again temporarily shuttered the gates into Black Rock City and halted vehicle traffic.
“Travel time for cars currently on Gate Road is 7 hours once Gate opens,” festival officials wrote Sunday night on X.
Cleanup efforts are now underway, but the wild weather is far from over.
Rain and possible thunderstorms Monday and over the next few days could make for dicey conditions in Black Rock Desert. The dusty lake bed is susceptible to flooding, and excessive rain can turn the playa into a muddy expanse.
In 2023, two days of heavy downpours stranded thousands of Burning Man attendees in thick mud in the desert. Festivalgoers were told to “shelter in place,” and one death was reported by the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office.
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