Burning Man: Thousands of festival-goers must conserve water and food after heavy rains left them confined to the Nevada desert

Tens of thousands of people attending the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert must save their food, water and fuel as they shelter in place in the Black Rock desert after a heavy rain storm hit hit the area, festival organizers said.

The gateway and airport to Black Rock City, a remote area in northwestern Nevada, remains closed and no driving is permitted in or out of town except for emergency vehicles . the organizers said the Xthe social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

“Do not travel to Black Rock City! Access to the city is closed for the remainder of the event and you will be returned,” a statement read.

The city is expecting more showers on Saturday night, organizers said in a weather forecast update. Rain and thunderstorms are expected to return early Sunday morning and continue through the afternoon “as the low pressure system moves east through Black Rock City,” the update said.

The festival, which began in 1986, takes place each summer in Black Rock City, a temporary metropolis erected each year for the festival.

He is best known for his final event, in which a large wooden symbol of a man is set on fire. The event attracts tens of thousands of people every year and in the past, celebrities ranging from Sean “Diddy” Combs to Katy Perry have attended.

More than 60,000 people travel to and from the city along a two-lane highway each year to attend the festival, according to its website. The festival was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Burning Man participants dedicate their time to creating art and building community. They can learn how to spin the fire, pole dance, make retractable art jewelry, or build a giant sculpture of two people kissing and burn it.

Some on-site preparations for this year’s Burning Man were impacted by Tropical Storm Hilary in August, with high winds, rainfall and even flooding reported in the desert, CNN reported.

The CNN feed™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. company. Discovery. All rights reserved.