Heavy rain causes flash flooding in Dollywood; 1 injured reported

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (WATE) — At least one person was injured as a result of flash flooding at Dollywood in Tennessee on Sunday, park officials reported.

The flooding, caused by storms in eastern Tennessee, affected several parts of the Pigeon Forge theme park. Photos from inside Dollywood show flooding in walkways and ride entrances, with parts of the park’s parking lots underwater.

“With the assistance of the Pigeon Forge Police and Fire Departments, park personnel helped guests to safety during the storm. At this time, one minor injury has been reported,” said Wes Ramey, Dollywood’s director of public relations.

Dollywood did not provide further details about the injury.

Ramey added Sunday night that cleanup crews had already been deployed to help mitigate damage and “support” guests whose cars were damaged.

Ramey said at the time that he wasn’t sure if Dollywood would open on Monday as planned. Park officials later confirmed that Dollywood would reopen on Monday at noon.

“Park officials will continue to assess conditions and updates will be posted on our social media pages as more information becomes available,” read a post on Dollywood’s X and Instagram pages.

According to Nexstar’s WATE, more rain is expected this week, with scattered showers on Monday and Tuesday. Heavy rain is possible from Monday evening through Tuesday morning.

Sunday’s flooding at Dollywood also came just over a week after Dollywood was forced to close on July 17 due to a broken water main. The park reopened as scheduled the next day.