Dolly Parton's Dollywood theme park hit by flood

A strong thunderstorm has caused a flash flood at Dolly Parton's theme park, Dollywood, in the US state of Tennessee.

Video from inside the park shows fast-flowing water cascading past rides and flooding souvenir shops.

In the car park, people waded through waist-high water to get to cars that were partially submerged.

The park said in a statement that guests were "directed... to safety during the storm" and that one person with a minor injury had been reported.

"Dollywood is supporting guests whose vehicles were affected by this weather event, and clean-up crews have been deployed," the statement said, adding that conditions would be assessed to determine whether the park would open on Monday.

Writing on X, several park visitors said they had never seen flooding that bad, and some complained that they were not directed to safety.

One X user said that patrons had to take apart a fence to get their vehicles out of the carpark, after a tree fell and blocked the road.

"I still love Dollywood… but we barely escaped today," wrote another user. "Hope everyone gets out alright."

The popular theme park features thrill rides, as well as arts and crafts, food, and music.

Country music star Parton, who grew up in the area and lent her name to the park in 1986, also makes occasional appearances.

This is the second water-based problem the park has encountered this month - nearly two weeks ago it had to close for a day because of a burst water main.

Knoxville Police issued a warning on its X account in the early hours of Monday morning, writing: "Periods of heavy rain are expected in our area for the next hour or more.

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

Dollywood is based in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee