Burning Man’s camp Black Rock City, set in the Nevada northern desert, was hit violently and caught completely unprepared by the torrential rains, which transformed the desert “playa” in which the festival takes place in a sea of mud. Therefore, the federal authorities decided to stop the event, ordering all participants to seek shelter. The festival takes place in the desert, where there is usually sun, heat and dry weather. Only once had it rained, in the 2014 edition.

The 73,000 participants found themselves stuck in the quagmire, often barefoot and unprotected. The organizers invited them to keep calm through the website of the event, reassuring them that the event was designed to withstand floods. Repeaters have been installed to provide internet connection and shuttles are organized to take participants from Gerlach, about eight kilometers from the festival location, to Reno, the nearest town. The police are inviting people to share food and water.