Six Flags New England Closed Thursday For More Storm Cleanup

AGAWAM (CBS) – Six Flags New England in Agawam will be closed for cleanup again Thursday, two days after severe thunderstorms across western Massachusetts left flooding and a mess across the amusement park.

The storm blew in as quickly as it left, sending debris flying through the theme park, toppling tree limbs on rides and picnic tables where Christiane Tumbry had just been sitting with her family.

"The umbrellas, with the chairs, start flying around. So all of the sudden, me and my family were the only ones over there in that spot, holding the umbrella, trying not to get hit by anything," said Tumbry.

Tumbry and her family found refuge in a restroom with dozens of others.

"My seven-year-old was very scared, so I had to calm her down," she said.

A WBZ-TV viewer shared images on Twitter saying she's never seen anything like it.

"We got all of this on us. It was very scary. The kids were crying. We were under one of those tables with the umbrellas and we had to hold them because they were flying around. We all had to run to the bathroom to be safe under heavy rain. The thunder and lightning was crazy. I'm glad we are all safe. We won't forget this one for sure," she wrote on Instagram.

It was no theme park ride for Ashley Batyuk, as powerful winds gave her a fright as she tried to leave the parking lot.

"I literally felt my car lift off the ground," said Batyuk. "It was like we dropped."

It's a temporary setback as the park just reopened May 14 after being closed for more than a year due to the pandemic.

Gavin Carr and his children, on vacation from Ireland, travelled 100 miles from their hotel in Rhode Island.  "

It's very disappointing, the kids have had a long journey, they want the slides and everything. So, what do you do," said Carr.

Employees are managing cleanup now instead of rides as the park deals with another recovery.

They hope to reopen on Friday.

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