Thunderstorms dumped rain on parts of eastern Tennessee Sunday, causing “unprecedented flooding” at Dolly Parton’s theme park, Dollywood, and leaving at least one person with minor injuries.
Videos taken by visitors showed floodwaters gushing through stores and walkways within the theme park.
Park officials said Pigeon Forge police and firefighters helped staff get guests to safety during the event, which they said was caused by 5 inches of rain falling within an hour.
“Dollywood is supporting guests whose vehicles were affected by this weather event, and cleanup crews have been deployed,” park officials said.
A Dollywood spokesperson told Scripps News they have asked guests with damaged cars to reach out to them so they can help on a case-by-case basis.
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The Pigeon Forge Police Department said Sunday that McCarter Hollow Road near the entrance to Dollywood had been closed due to a road collapse from the flash flooding.
The park reopened Monday at noon, and officials said they would honor tickets dated July 28 or rain checks would be provided for a future visit.
“While the volume of rain was difficult for both the park’s and the city’s infrastructure to manage, the fact we have only one minor injury illustrates how well our hosts handled the situation and how well our guests followed their directions,” officials said.
