The site has been turned into a mud bath and now roads into and out of Burning Man have been closed. Tens of thousands of people have been left stranded and urged to take shelter.
A death at Burning Man is under investigation as rain lashes the festival and tens of thousands of people remain stranded.
Roads into and out of the event in the Nevada desert have been closed due to flooding and festivalgoers have been urged to conserve food and water and take shelter. No toilets were working.
Police said a person has died “during this rain event” but did not provide further information. Their family has been informed.
The US Bureau of Land Management, the agency that manages the land on which the event takes place, said in a statement: “Rain over the last 24 hours has created a situation that required a full stop of vehicle movement on the playa.
“More rain is expected over the next few days and conditions are not expected to improve enough to allow vehicles to enter the playa.”
The White House said on Sunday that President Joe Biden had been briefed on the situation.
Paul Reder, who has been attending the festival for 22 years, said: “Fortunately we’re in a fairly big camp with a lot of supplies.
“As a community, everybody’s sharing with each other.”
Mr Reder said he expected it would take at least two days for the area to dry out.