SACRAMENTO, California — One person is dead following a storm in the Nevada desert during the annual Burning Man event. Officials are still investigating the death as thousands of people are still trying to get out.
As a Burning Man attendee since 2011, Jacque Weimer was looking forward to this year's event. Weimer got to Black Rock City in Nevada on Tuesday, but by Thursday, she had a feeling she should leave early.
"I got out and then the rain started coming down, and it wasn't just a little sprinkle here or there. It was a deluge," she said.
What's normally a dry and dusty desert setting turned into a difficult situation for people and vehicles to navigate. Thousands of people were unable to get in or out of the area.
"Then the puddle started happening and the mud started getting deeper," Weimer said.
As of Sunday morning, organizers with Burning Man say roads have been closed and driving is discouraged because of muddy conditions. Ed Fletcher, another Sacramento resident, told ABC10 he's staying strong and staying put.
"Every year the desert tries to kill you in one way, one way or another -- whether it's too hot or too dusty or too cold. Bad weather is something that Burners kind of expect," he said.
Bad weather and having to be self reliant in order to survive is something attendees, or 'Burners,' are used to. When it comes to this weekend's storm, those still in the desert say they're doing what they can to support one another during this time.
"They got each other and they made the most of it. And you know, that was wonderful to hear," Weimer said.
Sept. 4 is the last day of Burning Man. Organizers have created a Wet Playa Survival Guide to help people during the last few days of the event.
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