Festivalgoers to the annual event in the desert known as Burning Man are dealing with some harsh conditions from Mother Nature. New videos show powerful windstorms tearing through camps at the festival in northern Nevada.
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The video, posted by Henry Wu, a San Francisco travel influencer, shows people bracing for powerful winds while wearing goggles to handle the sand whipping through the air.
“Crazy winds demolished many camps at Burning Man on Saturday, including ours,” commented Wu. “Two to three days of eight hour build days in the hot sun all gone.”
He went on to say that some people were injured from flying debris, such as poles and other objects.
Burning Man, a sometimes controversial event, is an art-focused gathering where festivalgoers build a temporary city called Black Rock City. While promoters emphasize “leave no trace,” past festivals have not always lived up to that goal.
In 2023, heavy rain moved through the area, trapping some visitors in the desert. Many abandoned vehicles and tents were left after they became stuck in the mud. The event drew widespread attention that year, as some attendees were stranded for days before managing to leave. Videos of the mass exodus also went viral:
Volunteers associated with Burning Man helped with clean-up and restoring the area.
Strong winds are the biggest issue so far this year. Media reports say organizers are keeping an eye on the weather. When the dust storms moved through on Saturday, they temporarily shut down access to the event. Since then, the winds have slowed and temperatures have cooled.
The event in the Black Rock Desert takes place on a dried-up lake. It attracts more than 70,000 people every year.
