Dollywood amusement park experiences flash flooding

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (AP) — Sturdy thunderstorms introduced flash flooding to Dolly Parton’s Dollywood in east Tennessee.

Park employees and the Pigeon Forge police and hearth departments directed friends to security on Sunday afternoon, and one minor damage was reported, park officers mentioned in an announcement. The amusement park mentioned it was supporting friends whose autos have been affected and cleanup crews have been deployed. The park was opening at midday Monday and the park’s Splash Nation, which wasn’t affected, opened at its common time.

A street collapse closed McCarter Hole Street on the entrance to Dollywood on Sunday night time, in keeping with the Pigeon Forge Police Division.

JeMiale McKinney of Knoxville and his spouse and two daughters are season move holders and headed to the park Sunday. Typically, when there’s a menace of unhealthy climate, that’s the greatest time to go as a result of many individuals will depart and as soon as the climate clears, you get shorter trip instances, McKinney mentioned.

Nonetheless, it was pouring buckets and inside 10 minutes the doorway was blocked. Folks may see that it wouldn’t be value it to drive via the water that was thigh-deep in some locations, McKinney mentioned.

“We received trapped within the parking zone quicker than we thought,” he mentioned. They have been caught there for 2 hours till a crew broke down a fence so individuals may get out.

“I used to be shocked about how calm individuals have been,” he mentioned.

Practically 5 inches of rain fell within the space in about an hour, Dollywood spokesperson Wes Ramey mentioned in an e-mail.

“Whereas the quantity of rain was troublesome for each the park’s and the town’s infrastructure to handle, the very fact we have now just one minor damage illustrates how properly our hosts dealt with the scenario and the way properly our friends adopted their instructions,” Ramey mentioned.

The park will consider the response to find out whether or not any adjustments are wanted, he mentioned.