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Article posted: 12/29/2012 8:00 AM

Texas builds ‘hurricane domes’ for double-duty

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Work continues on the construction of a new domed gym at Edna High School in Edna, Texas. The hurricane dome, a structure being built in part with money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, can be used to house first responders or residents evacuated during a storm.

Associated Press

Bob Wells, superintendent of the Edna Independent School District, talks about their new domed gym under construction in Edna, Texas. The hurricane dome, a structure being built in part with money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, can be used to house first responders or residents evacuated during a storm.

Associated Press

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Most of the time, the windowless building with the dome-shaped roof will be a typical gymnasium filled with cheering fans watching basketball and volleyball games. But come hurricane season, the structure that resembles a miniature version of the famed Astrodome will double as a hurricane shelter, part of an ambitious storm-defense system that is taking shape along hundreds of miles of the Texas Gulf Coast.