Dollywood visitors stuck at park after heavy flash flooding hits Eastern Tennessee

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Heavy flash flooding hit Tennessee over the weekend, partially inundating Dolly Parton’s eponymous entertainment resort, Dollywood.

On Sunday, July 28, images released by Dollywood tourists on social media showed the grounds entirely soaked due to heavy rainfall.

“This afternoon, Sunday, July 28, a strong thunderstorm caused flash flooding at Dollywood,” the corporation stated on X (previously Twitter). “With the assistance of Pigeon Forge Police and Fire Departments, park personnel directed guests to safety during the storm.”

The park confirmed that one minor injury was sustained during the flooding. The business noted that “park officials will continue to assess conditions” at the amusement park.

Visitors at Dollywood uploaded footage on X on Sunday showing passengers wading through waist-high muddy floods on the park grounds, automobiles half-submerged in the parking lot, rising water levels inside and outside structures, and streams of water streaming across the grounds.

One park visitor reported that they “barely escaped” the floodwaters, while others described getting “stranded” while attempting to depart the parking lot.

“We got flooded and now have been stuck trying to get out of the @Dollywood parking lot for over an hour,” a visitor wrote on X. “We don’t understand the reason behind the blocked exit drive, yet we’re drenched and eager to return home.”

According to another tourist, the park stayed open and continued to sell tickets amid the flash floods. “Man, this was a crazy scene. Interestingly, they sold me tickets at 5:18 p.m. “AFTER the flooding had begun,” they posted on X.

“Dollywood is assisting guests whose vehicles were affected by this weather event, and cleanup crews have been deployed,” the business said in a statement.

A Dollywood spokesman informed PEOPLE that the park would reopen at noon local time on Monday, July 29.

PEOPLE contacted Parton’s agents for any comment on the incident, but they did not answer immediately.

Dollywood premiered in the singer’s hometown of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, in 1986. The park has since added various additional attractions and experiences, most notably opening Wildwood Grove, its 11th land, and the famous Flower & Food Festival.

The BBC reports that the current flooding at Dollywood occurred two weeks after a ruptured water main struck the park.

On July 28, Knoxville Police issued a weather warning on X: “Heavy rain is expected in our area for the next hour or more.” Use caution on the roadways, keep an eye out for standing water, and be aware of the risk of flash floods. As always, avoid driving on flooded roads.

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