Burning Man Theme Camp Builds Ravaged by 50 MPH Windstorms

Heavy wind forced all participating Burning Man camps to temporarily pause their builds. Some structures have suffered irreparable damage.

Early entry crews tasked with building the temporary city that will soon play host to this year’s edition of Burning Man were forced to stop working and wait for heavy wind to subside earlier this evening.

Videos circulating online show Nevada‘s Black Rock Desert obscured by whiteouts from the alkaline dust coating the dry lakebed’s surface. In some, shade cloth is being visibly torn from structures — if they’re still standing — with anyone running damage control wearing dust masks and goggles.

According to a sources on site, heavy gusts bent metal support poles on structures of theme camps like Pink Heart, BRC Snow Club, Disco Lips, and the Black Rock City Municipal Airport. It also reportedly destroyed “Black Cloud,” a giant, inflatable art installation symbolizing “the spectre of world war,” built by a Ukrainian team as the spiritual successor of last year’s similarly inspired “I’m Fine” piece. At least four people suffered minor injuries as a result of the tempest, according to Burning Man’s organizers.

Many have reported that yurts have been completely destroyed by the windstorm. In some photos, large slabs of the reflective foam used to build them can be seen lying in piles at the trash fence lining the perimeter of the event site.

“Hi, our yurts have been destroyed by the storm,” reads a post in a Burning Man Facebook group. “Anyone have any tents/accommodation? We are five people coming from Paris.”

A participant named Major Trouble gave regular ticket holders scheduled to start arriving on Sunday a piece of advice in a video post. “If you are heading out here, you might want to reach out to your camp leads. We are doing our best to make sure that everybody has what they need.”

“The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for the area including Black Rock City,” reads a Burning Man statement issued at 8:22pm local time. “Wind gusts up to 45 MPH are expected this evening, causing severely decreased visibility throughout the city.”

Another reads, “The Gate into and out of Black Rock City is currently closed. Expect delays as the wind gusts continue and visibility fluctuates.” By 9:55pm local time, however, organizers reported that the gates had reopened.

Gusts reportedly reached 50 MPH. On the Beaufort scale, these constitute gale force winds and can cause significant damage to buildings.

Burning Man was first held on San Francisco’s Baker Beach in 1986, but a run-in with local law enforcement forced its organizers to relocated their annual gathering to the Black Rock Desert starting in 1991. The event is unique for its participation-based structure in which regular attendees themselves provide most of the entertainment, with the 2025 edition alone boasting more than 1,100 registered theme camps.

Recent years have seen Burning Man mired by weather issues that — coupled with the post-pandemic economy — have contributed to lower attendance. In 2022, extreme heat wore on even the most seasoned Burners, and 2023 saw an unprecedented rainstorm force nearly everyone on site to stop and shelter in place.

The dusty surface of the Black Rock Desert has been softer than usual in recent months, likely exacerbating the effects of the windstorm. According to SFGATE, meteorologist Mark Deutschendorf has also said that rain and thunder could sweep across the playa “as soon as Sunday and Monday.”

“Black Rock City 2025 is underway, and the communal effort and resilience of the Burning Man community is on full display,” a Burning Man spokesperson told EDM Identity in an email on Sunday. “Participants are setting up camp and, due to yesterday evening’s dust and wind storms, are supporting others where repair work is needed for camps and art installations.”

The email continued: “Conditions have improved today, Sunday, August 24, with lower temperatures, reduced wind, and partial cloud cover. The National Weather Service anticipates moderate conditions with the possibility of higher winds and slight precipitation in the next three days.”

For regular ticket holders, Burning Man runs from August 24 – September 1. This developing story will be updated as more information becomes available.