Use a dry face covering. Storms may appear from any direction, but generally follow the prevailing winds out of the south-southwest. Since they often come with little or no warning, you need to keep your camp battened down at all times. Occasional high winds which may reach 60 mph will flatten most tents and carry away objects as large as sleeping bags, chairs, card tables, and empty ice chests unless they are weighted or tied down. Generally, very severe conditions rarely last more than an hour.
Rain falling on the Black Rock Desert is usually brief and the playa dries quickly.
If you are on a bicycle when a rainstorm approaches, you should quickly return to your campsite, as bike tires will quickly clog with the sticky playa mud after a rainstorm. Heavy rain storms, which are very rare during the summer, can make the playa impassable for most vehicles for several hours. The best thing to do is stay within the community during adverse weather conditions. Try to position your tent to present the smallest possible profile to the wind. Driving your stakes below ground level, then attaching the guy ropes and covering the hole is the most effective safety measure.