EAST LAMPETER TWP., LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. -- Last night's heavy rainfall shut down Dutch Wonderland in East Lampeter Township.
Park managers closed the park out of concern for the safety of employees and customers
It was the first time this season management had to shut down Dutch Wonderland for a full-day. The rain left behind a mess inside the park, which demanded a clean-up.
Employees worked tirelessly, rain boots on and shovels in hand, to clean up the park.
Pumps steadily pushed excess water from submerged rides.
"Luckily, we never got too high, above 6 or 8 inches or so, but we need to hose off all our areas, and make sure all of our areas are clean, ready to go, and safe for our guests," said Jeffrey Eisenberg, director of marketing.
Managers say safety is a top priority at the park, which is why they shut down the attraction for the first time this season.
"The rain is tough for us. We try to make the best of it, and we only close in situations where we absolutely have to, where the rain doesn't make it an enjoyable day or it actually does become a safety hazard," explained Eisenberg.
Old Mill Stream, which runs behind the park, rose because of the heavy rainfall.
Eventually, the sun broke through the clouds and helped with the clean up.
Because managers say it takes hours to inspect each and every ride, the park remained a ghost town.
Families drove in for some fun, and unfortunately, drove off after hearing news of the closure.
"I'm ashamed it was closed because I wanted to go on the roller coaster really bad," said Isabella Tijernia, a little girl who loves roller coasters.
"It was a shock to see nobody out here, actually," said Doug Polk, Tijernia's grandfather.
it wasn't the worst news for a few potential customers.
"I think what we're going to do is go back to the ice-cream store in Strasburg and have a redux," added Polk.
"We drove in, and we saw it was closed, but that's okay! The gift shop is open so we can go in and buy the kids something, and we can come up another day," said Terri Quinn, who was visiting family.
Good news for people in the area hoping to get on the rides at the park: Managers say Dutch Wonderland will reopen Thursday at 10 a.m. If anything changes, hey say you can always call the park or check any of their social media pages.