A powerful dust storm with wind gusts reaching 50 mph wreaked havoc on Burning Man attendees over the weekend, causing damage to campsites and art installations.
SFGATE reports that as thousands of people descend on the gates of Black Rock City, Nevada, for this year’s Burning Man festival, a fierce dust storm caught many attendees off guard. On Saturday afternoon, the National Weather Service’s Reno office issued an advisory for a “wall of blowing dust” coming from the playa, which quickly picked up speed and reduced visibility to less than a mile.
The storm, which brought wind gusts of up to 52 mph, caused significant damage to communal shade structures, dining areas, and EMT structures. San Francisco-based DJ and producer Major Trouble shared a video on Facebook, stating, “It got us good. It got the city real good. There are a couple of camps that got completely thrashed.”
Attendees shared photos on social media of their campsites covered in thick layers of dust and the remnants of their lost tents. Some had difficulty seeing without goggles and were forced to take shelter in their trailers until the storm passed. “Do not come to [the] playa,” one Reddit user pleaded.
The storm also claimed an 8-ton inflatable art installation called “Black Cloud,” which was built as a symbol of looming global threats and the specter of world war. The Ukrainian-led team worked overnight to set up the piece, only to see it torn apart from the inside just 15 minutes after completion.
Weather conditions are expected to worsen throughout the week, with the National Weather Service predicting a 40 to 70 percent chance of thunderstorms in the Sierra Nevada. These storms could bring quarter-sized hail, gusty winds, and the risk of flash flooding to the playa. Meteorologists are urging festival-goers to be cautious and find a way to receive weather alerts, as the storms may intensify throughout the week.
Burning Man officials have not yet commented on the situation, but in 2023 they released a “Wet Playa Survival Guide” when similar weather conditions trapped attendees in the desert. With the potential for a “muddy mess” from Monday through Wednesday, attendees are encouraged to stay informed about the latest weather updates and take necessary precautions to ensure their safety. 2023’s bad weather turned the Burning Man festival into a fiasco of epic proportions. As Breitbart News previously reported:
“This year is a little different in that there are numerous vehicles strewn all throughout the playa for several miles,” the sheriff told the San Francisco Chronicle.
“Some participants were unwilling to wait or use the beaten path to attempt to leave the desert and have had to abandon their vehicles and personal property wherever their vehicle came to rest,” he added.
Allen ultimately blamed Burning Man organizers, who he says are responsible for cleaning up the trash and debris from the Burning Man area and roadways each year.
Breitbart News will continue to report on Burning Man 2025.
Read more at SFGATE here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
