Vehicles move out of the festival grounds of Burning Man after being trapped due to the heavy rains

Following heavy rains that trapped tens of thousands of attendees in a makeshift city at Burning Man, hundreds of vehicles, trucks, and RVs have begun leaving the festival grounds. Ankle-deep mud, which was too thick to drive through, surrounded the festival-goers.

The event organizers officially lifted the driving ban on Monday afternoon (September 4), announcing, “Exodus operations have officially begun in Black Rock City,” the city created annually for the event.

The Burning Man Traffic account on X posted, “Although Exodus has officially begun, consider delaying your departure from Black Rock City until Tuesday 9/5 if you can. This will alleviate large amounts of Exodus congestion throughout the day today, Monday 9/4. Drive safely!”

Before the ban was lifted, thousands of attendees had already started making their way home. The organizers had stated on Sunday evening that there were 72,000 people on-site, and by midday Monday, approximately 64,000 remained.

In a 2 pm local time update, the organizers lifted the ban and mentioned that although conditions were improving, some neighborhoods and streets were still “muddy and may be difficult to navigate.”

“Take it slow and mind those directing traffic. Please be patient as you exit through Gate Road, and respect Burning Man staff who are working hard to make the Exodus experience as smooth and safe as possible,” the update advised.

Attendees were also encouraged to consider delaying their departure to prevent congestion.

Due to the rain, the festival’s entrance had been closed, and attendees were asked to conserve fuel, food, and water until the ground dried up.

Reports emerged of a man’s death at the Burning Man festival site during the unexpected storm, with nearly 70,000 attendees trapped on the site. Burning Man Communications stated that the death was “unrelated to the weather.” The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office is still investigating the cause of death.

The remote area in northwest Nevada received two to three months’ worth of rain in just 24 hours between Friday and Saturday morning. According to CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen, sunny and dry conditions in western Nevada on Monday would lead to a “significant improvement to the muddy conditions at the Burning Man festival.”