A series of thunderstorms on Sunday brought Dollywood to a standstill as parts of the park were hit with flash flooding. The theme park is expected to reopen at noon today.
Dolly Parton’s theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, was hit with torrential downpours that flooded multiple sites as guests were ushered out, according to Dollywood’s social media posts. One person reportedly sustained a minor injury during Sunday’s storm, as Pigeon Forge fire and police departments were called in to assist park staff with getting guests safely out of the park.
Some guests were left without a vehicle due to the rapid rise in floodwaters.
“Dollywood is supporting guests whose vehicles were affected by this weather event, and cleanup crews have been deployed,” read a message from Dollywood on X, formerly known as Twitter.
People at the park on Sunday gave others a glimpse of what happened.
Flooding at Dollywood: Watch videos posts from Sunday
People at Dollywood on Sunday posted photos and videos of the extent of flooding at the park and what parkgoers had to drive through to make their way out of the park in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Videos showed people walking through at least ankle-deep water in a paved parking area, while cars drove through murky water that almost covered their tires. X user Park Fanatic shared a collage of images of the extent of the flooding at Dollywood, including one of people wading through an area of waist-deep water.
How much rain fell at Dollywood?
Several news outlets reported upwards of 4.5 inches of rain fell in the area of Dollywood, causing flooding at the theme park and the surrounding regions. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for Sevier County at 5:39 p.m. on Sunday that expired at 9:45 p.m.
Is Dollywood open today?
The theme park expects to open around noon on Monday, but people should check Dollywood’s social media pages to keep up to date with the latest information.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Dollywood flooding: Video, photos show flash floods at theme park
Source Agencies
