Licking County FEMA Grant for Monolithic Dome Disaster Shelters

Freda Parker • Published • Monolithic Dome Benefits: Survivability

Construction is Underway!

Almost two years ago David B. South, president of Monolithic, received a letter from Jim Mickey, Environmental Planner with the Licking County Planning Department in Ohio. It stated that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is approving a grant for the construction of Monolithic Dome disaster shelters.

David said that the Licking County Planning Department contacted him after finding information about the disaster-resistant properties of Monolithic Domes on this website. “Since then, I’ve been working with them,” David added, “providing them with documentation and designs.”

According to plans, Monolithic Domes with diameters ranging from 32 feet to 50 feet will provide 800 square feet to 2000 square feet of shelter at two mobile home communities in Licking County Ohio.

FEMA has recommended one Monolithic Dome at every mobile home community and will provide 75% of the funding; owners of the mobile home parks will fund the remaining 25%. (Click here to see the first FEMA-funded school.)

This month, Monolithic Constructors, Inc. began work on the first two units, that Licking County is anxious to have completed so work can begin on many more.

A History of Severe Weather

Its Emergency Management Agency (EMA) ranks Licking County tenth in the state for tornado activity. Seventeen tornadoes have ripped through Licking County since 1958, leaving one dead, 26 injured, $30.3 million in property damage and $110,000 in crop destruction.

In addition to tornadoes, Licking County has reported 111 severe thunderstorms since 1956. They killed three persons, injured 21 others and caused $3.3 million of property damage.

Taking Action

In 1998, Licking became the first Ohio county to join a FEMA initiative called Project Impact: Building Disaster-Resistant Communities.

In its News Release Number 1343-11, FEMA states, “Five Ohio communities are currently participants in Project Impact, which is designed to help communities protect themselves from the devastating effects of natural disasters by taking actions that dramatically reduce disruption and loss. The goal of Project Impact is to reduce the personal and economic costs of disasters by bringing together community leaders, citizens and businesses to prepare for and protect themselves against the ravages of nature.”

On its website the Licking County Planning Commission (LCPC) describes itself as existing “… to form the partnerships that will help make the future of Licking County as bright as possible. Following rules and regulations may be comforting at times, but we do not exist to simply enforce regulations and administer programs. We exist to strategically apply our planning efforts, programs, regulations, and expertise in a manner that will help Licking County develop in accordance with the highest of aspirations.”

Note: We first presented this article in September 2007 and updated it in May 2009.