The driving ban at Burning Man was lifted on Monday, allowing the roughly 64,000 remaining attendees the chance to escape onto festival grounds that were turned into a muddy mess by torrential rain.
“Exodus operations” were officially underway in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert thanks to drier terrain, festival organizers said in an update posted on their website around 2 p.m. local time.
An endless line of vehicles and RVs slowly left the area on Monday, according to images of the mass departure.
But while the driving ban was no longer in effect, organizers urged those still present to delay their departure until Tuesday to reduce some of the road congestion.
“Please know that while conditions are improving and the roads are drying up, the beach is still muddy and it can be difficult to navigate in some neighborhoods and along certain streets,” organizers said.
Attendees were also asked not to leave the Black Rock Desert like others, including comedian Chris Rock and DJ Diplo, did over the weekend.
The couple had apparently walked six miles on Saturday through the mud before hitchhiking in the back of a fan’s van, according to a video posted to Instagram by Diplo, whose real name is Thomas Wesley Pentz.
“I actually walked on the side of the road for hours with my thumb out,” Diplo wrote.
A recreational vehicle and trailer are seen stuck in dried mud near the site of the Burning Man festival on Monday. REUTERS
The mass exodus began on Monday. REUTERS
The festival banned driving from the venue after more than half an inch of rain flooded the area Friday, causing mud up to a foot deep. Still, some left the festival by car before organizers gave them the go-ahead on Monday.
Weather permitting, the burning of “the Man”, a large wooden effigy in the shape of a man, is expected to take place Monday night and the burning of a wooden temple structure scheduled for Tuesday at night, which marks the end of the festival.
The burn was postponed while authorities worked to reopen exit routes by the end of the Labor Day weekend.
An estimated 64,000 attendees were still trapped on Monday via REUTERS
The festival turned into a muddy mess when heavy rain lashed the area. AP
The popular alternative festival, which began in 1986 on a San Francisco beach, attracts nearly 80,000 artists, musicians and activists and includes wilderness camping and cutting-edge performances.
“We’re a little dirty and muddy, but spirits are high,” said Southern California photographer Scott London. “The party continues”.
When floods hit the area, revelers were urged to conserve food and water as most remained entrenched.
“Everyone has settled in, sharing sleeping RVs and offering food and coffee,” said Philadelphia photographer Rebecca Barger. “I danced up to my feet in clay for hours with amazing DJs.”
Some trudged through the mud to escape the festival.ZUMAPRESS.com
Tens of thousands of people were still there at noon Monday. AP
Others were able to escape the harsh conditions by walking several kilometers to the nearest town to get transportation.
The festival was rocked by a death over the weekend, although organizers said it was not weather-related. No further details have been released about the death of the man in his 40s.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn