The rain on the Playa got me thnking about something...

CapSmashy · Post by **CapSmashy** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 7:31 pm

So we know if there is not enough rain and what not, we get a dustbowl.

What would happen if there was freak week or so of heavy rain that started up on the Thursday before the gates open to the public?

Just wondering if there is a contingency plan in place for such an event.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 7:57 pm

Yes.

Okay, I'm not sure, but it's an educated guess.

StevenGoodman · Post by **StevenGoodman** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 8:19 pm

If the entry road is not passable they hold gate. This has happened before because of short downpours.

Rain (i.e. super slick mud) can close the gate same as as a whiteout.

If it started raining the Thursday before event it would be interesting, given there are already a 1,000 or so Early Entry people on site then! Party!

Martini Steve

Box Burner · Post by **Box Burner** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 8:20 pm

stargeezer · Post by **stargeezer** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 8:25 pm

This is an interesting question, and I would be curious what the plan would be. Relocating such a large crowd could be rather challenging. I have also wondered what would happen if a rather large sudden downpour happened during the event. With the climate changes we have experienced so far, I would think such a storm very possible. I can't imagine what could be done for thousands of vehicles stuck in the muck with people having only a week or two of supplies.

can't sit still · Post by **can't sit still** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 8:47 pm

I think the BLM might have something to say about relocating on short notice. As i recall, the access road is gravel for a ways,,, then turns to playa. The playa would turn to snot.... probably, bottomless snot. How much rain can the stakes on center camp tolerate? I carry an inflatable boat in my camper. I can make beer-runs for everybody

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 9:23 pm

unless it was a super huge downpour, if every one just stays put, it'll dry out in a few hours, or a day............
it'd be the panic, people freaking and trying to "escape" that'd tear things up, and, get stuck............

and, moving it would not be workable, I'm sure...............if it rains there, it'd probably rain all around the area, being a "big rain"............and, the ground out there everywhere gets snotty and bubblegum like when it's wet...........

I bet they'd move it to reno in a big parking lot............

thisisthatwhichis · Post by **thisisthatwhichis** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 7:44 am

I heard it did rain out there pretty good one year..... but I've never seen any pics to prove it......

And yes, after the little bit of rain we got in '07, is was refreshing, and fun, and let's do it again!!!

CapSmashy · Post by **CapSmashy** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 8:19 am

Yeah, the little bit of rain we got that afternoon n 07 was pretty awesome.

This was actually a question being pondered by Dr Sinister since she is an emergency manager and all. She pointed out that the bigger question would be is what would happen in the same scenario if a major storm system moved in on Sunday morning before exodus.

If it happened pre-event, as in my scenario, they could simply shut down 447 at Fernley to avoid the massive pile up back through Gerlach until things got passable again for entry onto the Playa. It would be a mess, but manageable from a crowd control perspective if they got on it fast enough.

It would definitely be a shelter in place kind of scenario since from what I understand even walking is nearly impossible once the playa turns to goo from any decent amount of rainfall.

pinemom · Post by **pinemom** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 9:01 am

here....here's a bottle of whiskey and a bacon sandwhich....sit down shut up and wait for the sun to come dry up all the rain....itsy bitsy spider....

It pretty predetermined that the playa surface will be like last yr...worse if they criss cross the city across last yrs city!

we havent had crappola for moisture this yr

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 9:04 am

Yep... I carry my own contingency plan, enough water and food and fuel and booze for much longer than just the intended week, and a 4 wheel drive tow rig that I know won't move in such conditions but will move sooner and better than others will.
If it rains good and hard, plan or no plan, no one's going anywhere!

So the main point is, think ahead and bring enough booze.

Barbie · Post by **Barbie** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 11:16 am

I think one year, they handed out a flyer- to US saying IF it rained we were ALL TO STAY PUT. NOT to try to DRIVE wait until the Playa dryed out.
If fact, I think there is even something about this in our Bible (the S.G.). It says something about not even Walking on the playa 'cause it just cakes up on your shoes like the Red Mud here in Hawaii; we're all supossed to be have five gallon buckets with lids JUST in case it pours down rain and you can't get to the portapotties.

2007 I was standing with a couple of hotties when one said to me "I'm prepared for the 20 degree weather to 120 degrees. And For the wind to blow 70mph for hours and the dust to be as thick as the fog in SF. But I'am NOT PRepared FOR RAIN "

THis I thought about in my fucked up state and realized I had used my rain fly as part of my shade (kinda like early childhood tent in living room camp LOL) soooooo I ran for my Camp- ANd began to throw my entire closet of clothing (that was hanging on the side of the truck) and bedding (I like to have lots of blankets instead of sleeping bag) in the small truck cab. I did that TWICE that year... ohhhhhh Playa Memories

The moral to the story IS DON'T use your Rain fly of your tent as- something other than a rain fly; thinking I have an extra sheet to cover my bed I like to look up see the stars in the mor. I get more air - I'll just leave the rain fly off become ONE with the dust 'cause it won't RAIN...

I don't however have to EVER worry about running out of BOOZE!!

SilverOrange · Post by **SilverOrange** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 12:44 pm

Barbie wrote:It says something about not even Walking on the playa 'cause it just cakes up on your shoes like the Red Mud here in Hawaii;

I can attest to this. Sometime in the late nineties it rained while I was out on the playa. Instant 5 inch mud platform shoes which felt like they weighed 20 pounds each. It made getting back to camp a real adventure. It was just a short squall though, and dried up just about as quickly.

Simon of the Playa · Post by **Simon of the Playa** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 12:48 pm

1998, the night of the opera.

we tried, we really did, but made it 50 feet past ice station zebra and turned right the fuck around and hung at Bianca's all night.

everyone looked like they were drunk, because walking was impossible.

Isotopia · Post by **Isotopia** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 10:40 pm

Just wondering if there is a contingency plan in place for such an event.

Yes.

The plan has been in place for a good number of years now.

Sensei · Post by **Sensei** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 7:48 am

CapSmashy wrote:What would happen if there was freak week or so of heavy rain that started up on the Thursday before the gates open to the public?

My favorite scenario has it raining cats and frogs Friday, the night before the burn. Not some piddly-ass Seattle mist-rain either, but a real downpour lasting hours that turns the playa into a mud-lake. Most folks will have been there a week or so by then and would be getting low on vital supplies (alcohol!). Unfortunately, nobody would be going anywhere in that muck. With the right conditions, we might all be out there for at least an extra week...

Hello, National Guard!

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 7:52 am

I wonder how the "happy, gift economy, love others" would hold up under duress....?.........

I'd like to think it'd maintain, as an attitude.

I've also noticed how, upon exodus, some people go right back to aggressive driving, rude behavior, etc.........especially the "weekenders"........

Post by **mdmf007** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 8:13 am

StevenGoodman wrote: If it started raining the Thursday before event it would be interesting, given there are already a 1,000 or so Early Entry people on site then! Party!

Martini Steve

Most populous day hstorically i thought was the thursday during the event. If it rained and did not stop - the area would turn into such a cluster F that the national guard would be bringing in food! and water. Cars would eventually sink to their axles or deeper simply from their weight and the playa turning to tooth paste or pale brown brownie mix.

If it rained until the playa surface was saturated it would take months to get all of the vehucles off of the playa.

We had to use 3000 feet of cable (all sorts of cables connected together) to get my buddies truck off the playa in 2003. He got stuck in April, and 2 more trucks got stuck trying to get to him. 3000 feet was about as close as you could get, stop and start moving again. and that was when it was still drying out and had not rained for weeks.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 9:46 am

The world's biggest Slip N Slide.
GGW would have a field day.

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 11:52 am

I'll report back after the 4th of juplaya...is usually a good indicator of what conditions will be like in august.

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 12:23 pm

With the right conditions, we might all be out there for at least an extra week...

Hello, National Guard!

Maybe not that long but certainly an extended stay. One worst case scenario has Nevada Hwy Patrol shutting down access to 447 to all but local residents in order to keep others from choking off nixon and Gerlach when they're turned away at the gate. The National Guard %%might%% get called in but it would have to be an extraordinarily nasty situation.

Simon of the Playa · Post by **Simon of the Playa** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 1:11 pm

maybe the nevada air national guard could make low and slow strafing runs with the c-130's and drop beer.

i seem to remember a couple of times when they did this for just shits and giggles, so it's not like they havent planned for it.

hell, i wont mind an extra week, even if the beer is piss warm.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 7:14 pm

Simon of the Playa wrote: hell, i wont mind an extra week, even if the beer is piss warm.

It will be interesting to see where cannibalism crops up once we run out of bacon.

Simon of the Playa · Post by **Simon of the Playa** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 7:30 pm

in these tough economic times, we may have to rely on sizzlean.

[youtube][/youtube]

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 7:46 pm

Home videos from 80s camp?

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 10:07 pm

theCryptofishist wrote:
Simon of the Playa wrote: hell, i wont mind an extra week, even if the beer is piss warm.
It will be interesting to see where cannibalism crops up once we run out of bacon.

no need for cannibalism as long as there are Canadian Beavers............

wait, is that redundant?.........

Thecatman · Post by **Thecatman** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 9:42 pm

Move the event about 40miles south to the Winnemuca dry lake bed. Seriously, the event could cancelled. Says so on the ticket

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 6:59 am

Thecatman wrote:Move the event about 40miles south to the Winnemuca dry lake bed. Seriously, the event could canceled. Says so on the ticket

seems like it's proximity to Lovelock would be an issue.....so close it'd be easy to "run to town" for PBR and prostitutes............

can you imagine how the "Lovelockians" would react to thousands of burners wandering their streets?.........

Dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria..........

not to mention the constabulary.......some of our Eplaya residents know them quite well already.............

Lovely town, though, with it's round courthouse, Sturgeons restaurant, Huge natural gas storage facility, armored car factory, and, "Hay farmers"............

Simon of the Playa · Post by **Simon of the Playa** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 7:41 am

Hey! I Love Lovelock!

i met George Hamilton there....at the Casino.

he's the Local rancher George Hamilton, not the dried prune movie star george hamilton, and we had a drink as he described how his "hoss" had kicked him in the face that day, and the whiskey we were sucking down was medicinal.

nice guy.

the part of lovelock that sucks, is the ubiquitous McDonalds, that is the first thing you see when you get off the 80.

how bout the Frontier Motel?, now there's a place for a hootenanny...

Simon of the Playa · Post by **Simon of the Playa** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 7:43 am

you forgot to mention the ever booming "Corrections" business that lovelock is so proud of....

The rain on the Playa got me thnking about something...

The rain on the Playa got me thnking about something...

Re: The rain on the Playa got me thnking about something...