Photos: Hersheypark closes again after 'historic flooding' turned the roller coaster park into water park

Rounds of torrential rain and serious flooding inundated the northeastern United States this week causing two of Pennsylvania's most popular amusement parks to close.

Hersheypark and Knoebels were forced to close on Monday, July 23, after heavy rain left both parks severely flooded.

"A slow-moving storm system has been persistently sending tropical moisture into the mid-Atlantic and Northeast over the past few days. This has lead to numerous showers and thunderstorms each day that continue to pummel the same areas repeatedly, including Hershey, Pennsylvania," AccuWeather Meteorologist Jordan Root said.

According to Root, these repeated downpours have caused streams and rivers to rise and spill out of their banks, leading to dangerous flooding.

On Wednesday, the Swatara Creek near Hershey reached major flood stage and climbed the its second-highest level in 43 years. The National Weather Service described the flooding in this part of Pennsylvania as 'historic.'

"The Hershey, Pennsylvania, area has seen some of the heaviest rain so far and as a result, some of the worst flooding," Root said.

After reopening on Tuesday, Hersheypark announced on Wednesday, July 25, that it would be closed once again. Knoebels also announced a closure Wednesday due to flooding after initially reopening to the public on Tuesday.

Hersheypark remained closed on Thursday due to the continued weather impacts in the area around the park, but announced that they would be open on Friday.

Knoebels also said its amusement park would be closed Thursday. However, its campground was expected to remain open.

Hersheypark and Knoebels both shut down when a wave of heavy storms swept across central and eastern Pennsylvania, leaving much of the state under a flash flood watch. Surging water on small streams caused the flooding in portions of those areas and parks.

"Swatara Creek which flows near Hershey has been in moderate flood stage since late Monday and is not forecast to drop below this stage until Friday at the earliest," Root said.

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