If you’re planning a trip to the chocolate-themed amusement park, Hersheypark in Pennsylvania, a favorite destination for youngsters and families, this week is not a good time to go. Heavy rainwaters battering the region have shut down the Hershey, Pa. park, where the Hershey corporation is headquartered, for most of the week due to ongoing flooding.
The park has been flooded before, as a creek runs through the popular amusement park with various chocolate-themed rides.
But recent powerful rainfall across Pennsylvania have closed the park for most of this week. Despite the Park’s staff rallying to reopen on July 24 after being closed the previous day, they had to close again on July 25, after Derry Township officials declared an emergency. They also announced they would close the following day.
Hersheypark closed due to flooding
“Given the continued weather impact in our area – including impacts to roads, bridges and highways leading to the park – Hersheypark, ZooAmerica, and the Hershey Entertainment Complex will be closed tomorrow, Thursday, July 26, Hersheypark said on Facebook. “Our team continues to monitor conditions closely for the safety of our guests and employees.”
Affected guests can contact the park, and tickets for the summer will still be honored through Sept. 30 Email [email protected] with any questions.
Above, check out photos of all the trouble the flooding is causing in the area, courtesy of local photography studio The Wyse Choice.
Heavy rain soaked the U.S. mid-Atlantic coast Wednesday, swelling rivers, closing roads and imperiling homes. Heavy rains on the Eastern seaboard fell overnight from central New York state south through eastern North Carolina, where the National Weather Service forecast that a new round of downpours could cause more flooding. Eastern Virginia and Pennsylvania were also hard hit.
A National Weather Service bulletin warned the public to say away from high water, saying: “It doesn’t take much water to sweep away a person or vehicle.”
Authorities closed highways and roads in parts of Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia because of flooding.
“With the rainfall we have seen over the last week, the ground is very saturated, so any additional rainfall we receive … really has nowhere to go,” NWS meteorologist Brandon Fling said.
The weather service said as much as 14 inches of rain had fallen along the East Coast since Saturday, swelling waterways well above flood levels.
Airports in New York and Philadelphia reported delays of more than an hour Wednesday.
Downpours and possible showers were forecast to linger across the region for several more days.
Reuters contributed to this report.
