Flooding and downed trees temporarily prevented some visitors at Anakeesta from going home on Sunday.
Anakeesta employees worked to find the safest routes to get people down the mountain, according to the marketing director with the theme park, Michele Canney.
Employees helped people like Christina Adams and Rachel Lasseter get safely get down the mountain. Employees used company cars, ATVs, and courtesy shuttles to help visitors.
The park says they transported people out of Anakeesta on back roads. Some shuttles were delayed due to unusually heavy flooding on the roads.
Canney said downed trees and flooding on Highway 321 prevented the shuttle from going up and down the road to help transport people.
Lasseter shared her story, saying it was a scary situation after trees had fallen in their path as they were trying to get down the mountain.
When she and her family first arrived, she said they had closed the sky lift because of lightning in the area. She said they had walked around Anakeesta to take in the sights while they waited when it suddenly began raining hard.
She said they then got onto a shuttle bus which got turned around by a fallen tree, and other roads had closed because of debris.
Eventually, she said employees were able to get them down the waterlogged mountainside in an ATV.
Canney says as of now the street drains have caught up with the rain and are lowering the flooding risk so roads are navigable.
Adams says some visitors had to wait about two to three hours before they could leave the park due to the heavy rain and some lightning.
More rain is expected in the area for the next few days from Subtropical Storm Alberto making it's way north from the Gulf, which has increased the potential for flash flooding across the area.
Be sure to keep an eye on the updated forecast through the week.
ORIGINAL STORY (Sunday, May 27) | After heavy rains drenched areas of Sevier County, folks at Anakeesta say they're stuck because of flooding and a few downed trees on roadways as of Sunday afternoon.
Sevier County Emergency Dispatch says the Gatlinburg Fire Department is patrolling different areas in the city that may often see flooding or downed trees.
One viewer, Christina Adams, says she and others are stuck at Anakeesta.
Adams says she's been at the theme park since 4:15 p.m. She says some of the workers at Anakeesta are using their personal vehicles to help people get down the mountain.
Michele Canney, the marketing director with Anakeesta, says the flooding on Highway 321 is causing issues for many of the people who are trying to leave. Canney says Ankeesta is working to get everyone safely down with courtesy vehicles at this time. She also says they are working with Gatlinburg Police Department to get updates on the road and the safest driving routes for visitors.
Canney emphasized Anakeesta is working to make sure everyone can leave the theme park safely.
This story is developing. We'll continue to bring you updates as we receive them.