Dollywood flash flooding leaves visitors wading through waist-deep water to escape washed-out park

Dolly Parton’s Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee has been hit with severe flash flooding, injuring at least one person.

On Sunday the park was underwater as heavy rain pounded eastern Tennessee, leaving one person injured, according to officials.

Footage from the park showed cars submerged and people dressed in Dollywood ponchos wading through waist-deep water after a deluge of nearly five inches of rain in less than an hour.

“With the assistance of Pigeon Forge Police and Fire Departments, park personnel directed guests to safety during the storm,” officials said. “At this time, one minor injury has been reported. Dollywood is supporting guests whose vehicles were affected by this weather event, and cleanup crews have been deployed.”

Dollywood is set to reopen at noon local time on Monday.

Just one reported injury “illustrates how well our hosts handled the situation and how well our guests followed their directions,” Wes Ramey, Dollywood’s public relations director, told The Independent.

“We will evaluate the response to determine if any changes are needed moving forward, but we are proud of our maintenance and operations teams for their hard work that allowed us to reopen less than 24 hours after an unprecedented flooding event like this one.”

The heavy flooding caused a road near Dollywood’s entrance to collapse, Pigeon Forge Police Department said.

One social media user said that she and her mother were at the park on Sunday night when the flooding hit.

“No one directed us to safety,” the park-goer wrote. “After my disabled mother was nearly swept away by flood water trying to walk down the path from Timber Canyon, the staff we told about the situation seemed nonplussed.”

The visitor also said it took three hours to receive instructions on how to return to their hotel.

Another park attendee posted on social media that they “barely escaped” the rushing waters.

“I still love Dollywood…but we barely escaped today,” the visitor wrote on X. “Hope everyone gets out alright.”

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for the region on Sunday evening.

“Use caution on the roads, watch out for standing water, and be aware of the potential for flash flooding,” the Knoxville, Tennessee Police Department said. “And remember, as always, to never drive through flooded roads. Turn around, don’t drown.”

Dollywood earned its title after Parton lent her iconic name to the theme park when she bought into it in 1986, 25 years after it first opened. The theme park gets more than 2 million visitors per year, according to its website.

The park is known for its rollercoasters, Parton-themed memorabilia available in the giftshops and the Dollywood DreamMore Resort and Spa. Parton’s neice, Heidi Parton, also often performs at the park.