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An unusual late-summer storm has turned week-long counterculture fest Burning Man into a sloppy mess akin to a season of Survivor.

Tens of thousands of partygoers are stuck in foot-deep mud with no working toilets in the northern Nevada desert. One death has already been reported and approximately 70 000 people are now ‘trapped’ at the festival venue as more than 2.5 centimetres of rain fell this weekend in parts of northwest Nevada, which includes the area where the Burning Man festival was being held.

Mark Deutschendorf, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Reno explained that the average rainfall for the whole month of September for this area was predicted to be only 0.53 centimetres, which goes to show just how quickly and unexpectedly the fest went from Burning Man to ‘Soaking Man’.

Typical for the social media age, the whole ordeal has been steeped in fake news and misinformation, with claims circling that there has been an ‘ebola outbreak’. This has been confirmed as false though, and the cause of the one fatality has not been shared as of yet.

The whole muddy stuff-up has even drawn attention from President Joe Biden, who told reporters in Delaware on Sunday that he is aware of the situation at Burning Man, including the death, and the White House is in touch with local officials.

But with classic hippy nonchalance, many Burning Man revellers said on Sunday that they were still in ‘party mode’ and not fussed about the lack of ablution facilities. Hmm, I reckon there’s enough medicine to keep those ‘chill vibes’ going.

On their website, organisers encouraged participants to remain calm and suggested that the festival is built to endure conditions like flooding. That may be so, but the footage of the site says otherwise.

The Burning Man team also advised attendees that cellphone trailers were to be dropped in several locations Saturday night and that they would be briefly opening up internet overnight. Shuttle buses were also organised to take attendees to Reno from the nearest town of Gerlach, a walk of about 8 kilometres from the site.

“We have not witnessed any negativity, any rough times,” organiser Theresa Galeani said. “Some people … were supposed to leave a few days ago, so they’re out of water or food. But I am an organiser, so I went around and found more water and food. There is more than enough here for people. We just have to get it to everyone.”

Seeing footage of the actual ‘burners’ themselves, it seems that there really is still a positive energy flowing as quick as the mud between their toes.

“We are a little bit dirty and muddy but spirits are high. The party still going,” said Scott London, a Southern California photographer.

Understandably, all burning of sculptures and effigies has been postponed until the conditions improve.

Not everyone is keen to channel 1969 Woodstock vibes and stay stuck in the mud though.

Celeb DJ Thomas Wesley Pentz, known professionally as Diplo, and comedian Chris Rock managed to flee the fest by getting a ride in a pick-up truck from a passing fan.

“I legit walked the side of the road for hours with my thumb out,” Diplo explained.

But overall, despite many peoples’ decision to yeet out of there, it seems you can’t extinguish the burn, even with torrential rainfall.

“Everyone has just adapted, sharing RVs for sleeping, offering food and coffee,” Rebecca Barger, a photographer from Philadelphia said.

“I danced in foot-deep clay for hours to incredible DJs.”

Party on, I guess? If it was me, especially in light of a fatality, I would be part of the steady stream of vehicles trying to leave the make-shift festival town.

As the story develops, the whole thing remains as clear as mud.

[sources:associatedpress&theindependent]