School officials in Woodsboro, Texas say they’ll be ready to break ground on their new Monolithic Dome multipurpose facility in about a month – weather permitting. But once the hurricane-resistance building is in place, weather should be much less of a concern in the small Gulf Coast town. That’s because their school building will meet the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s standards for near-absolute protection from hurricanes.

In fact, FEMA is providing a large part of the funding for the construction through a $1.5 million grant. “It’s going to be a building hopefully the community can use for decades in the future,” Superintendent Steven Self told the Victoria Advocate.

U.S. Rep. Ruben Hinojosa D-Mercedes who supported the school district’s efforts to win the grant, said he is hopeful that other communities will follow in Woodsboro’s footsteps. “He said that it was a very innovative thing that makes a lot of sense and hopefully other political entities will kind of emulate it,” Self told the newspaper.

The Woodsboro dome, which will measure 20,000 square feet and serve as a multipurpose facility that seats 938 people, is expected to be completed by the end of the year.