“Open Dome” — Residents of Summit Ridge Estates, a manufactured home development in Pataskala, Ohio don’t worry too much about storms these days now that they have a their Monolithic Dome Shelter/Community Center. (Gary Clark)
Dome Storm Shelter Provides Safe Haven
Although a deadly tornado can strike anywhere, about half of all fatalities occur in manufactured homes, according to the National Severe Storms Laboratory. But residents of Summit Ridge Estates, a manufactured home development in Pataskala, Ohio don’t worry too much about storms these days. That’s because they have a Monolithic Dome storm shelter on their property that provides a safe haven when severe weather strikes.
Jim Mickey, an environmental planner for the Licking County Planning Commission, helped make construction of the building possible by applying for a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He received $775,000 in 2005 and partnered with two communities that were interested in building dome shelters for their residents. The Summit Ridge Estates dome and a smaller dome in Wilkins Park were completed earlier this year.
At a dedication ceremony earlier this month, Mickey expressed satisfaction with the new dome buildings. It’s going to reduce injuries and save the lives of anyone who takes shelter in it,” Mickey told the Newark Advocate newspaper. “It will also free up first responders after severe weather events to go do other things.” Residents and the developer of the Summit Ridge Estates also praised the new shelter.