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Hershey Park Closed: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

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Hershey Park will be closed on Thursday, July 26 for the third time this week, as heavy rain and flooding continue in Pennsylvania and the region. The popular theme park was closed on Monday because of severe flooding. It re-opened on Tuesday, but then closed again on Wednesday out of safety concerns. The park managers announced on twitter that Hershey would stay closed on Thursday. They haven’t announced yet whether the park will re-open on Friday.

Here’s what you need to know.

1. Hershey Park, Zoo America, and the Hershey Entertainment Complex Will All Be Shut Until Further Notice

Heavy downpours and possible thunderstorms are expected to continue on Thursday. On Wednesday, Hershey managers announced that the entire park — Hershey Park, Zoo America, and the Hershey Entertainment Complex — will remain closed on Thursday. The management hasn’t said yet whether they will be able to open on Friday. They plan to keep on issuing updates on social media, so keep your eye on Twitter. But for now, the park is closed until further notice.

This will be the third day this week that Hershey Park is closed. The park was shut on Monday because of flooding concerns. It re-opened on Tuesday, but many of the rides were still closed. And on Wednesday, the park closed again.

Summer tickets will be valid through September 30. Anyone with a question can also contact the park directly at hersheypark@hersheypa.com

2. Severe Flooding in the Mid-Atlantic Region Could Be Life-Threatening, Experts Warn

The entire mid-Atlantic region — New York, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania — has been hit by flash floods and heavy rains this week. Experts are warning that the situation is serious and that people should exercise caution. The National Weather Service tweeted on Tuesday that “this is a potentially dangerous, even life-threatening, situation.”

In Hershey today, flood waters were already rising and a steady rain was falling. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for the region and tweeted today that there is a “high risk” of excessive rainfall and flooding across central Pennsylvania.

3.Rescue Workers Evacuated Hershey Residents on Wednesday, As Water Levels Continue to Rise

On Wednesday Swatara Creek, near Hershey continued to rise. It is now at 17 feet (anything above 7 feet is considered to be flood level). You can see footage from above the creek in this short video. The National Weather Service said that the Swatara is at the second-highest level since records began in October 1975.

The Red Cross set up emergency shelters for people who were evacuated. Rescue workers were helping people along Sunset Drive, in Hershey, who have had to leave their homes and seek shelter. Roads were shut down as the swollen creek made it too dangerous to cross the bridges over Swatara Creek.

The Susquehana River is also rising and approaching flood stage. You can see that in this video.

4. Flash Floods Are Expected to Continue Throughout the Week

Eight to ten inches of rainfall have been recorded this week in parts of Central Pennsylvania and northern Maryland. This has led to the ground becoming super-saturated with water, so that continuing rainfall builds up into floods. Forecasters say that drier weather should come back around Thursday afternoon or Friday, but creeks and rivers are still at flood levels.
The Swatara Creek, near Hershey, is expected to stay at flood level until Saturday, when it should begin to go down to normal levels again.Major flood levels are expected to continue into Thursday at Hershey, although the drier weather should start coming back on Thursday afternoon or Friday morning.

5. Here Are More Images of Flooding in the Region This Week

Central Pennsylvania experienced record levels of rainfall this week, and the area remains under a flash flood warning. Roadways were shut on Wednesday, and so were some restaurants.

You can see some more images of the flooding here.

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