Dome damaged, deflated due to power outage

The Hodag Dome will be closed for an indefinite period of time after it received damage Sunday morning during an ice storm that hit the Northwoods. 

According to district officials, a backup generator designed to kick on during power outages failed to trigger automatically when power was lost Sunday morning, causing the dome to lose air pressure. 

A look at damage inside the Hodag Dome through a hole in the outer membrane Sunday, March 30, 2025.
(Photo by Jeremy Mayo/River News)

As the dome began to deflate, a piece of equipment inside the dome punctured the membrane, creating a significant tear on the west side of the facility. Another tear was spotted on the east side of the structure, and officials stated several small other tears were observed in the dome material. 

District officials reiterated to the River News that it was the loss of power – and not the weight of the snow and ice that ultimately led to the damage. SDR Superintendent Eric Burke said it was initially unclear why the backup generator did not turn on.

“One of the things we wanted to make clear was the generators and that the backup generator does get regular maintenance,” he said. “This is unfortunately a malfunction that we wish could’ve been avoided, but we’re going to get the dome fixed and back up and running as soon as possible, and be able to continue to be a great resource for our students and our families in our community.”

Both Burke and SDR Activities Director Brian Paulson told the River News that maintenance members were able to manually start the generator, however, the initial damage had already occurred by that point. Arizon Building Systems, which constructed the dome, advised the school to deflate the structure in an effort to minimize any further damage to the membrane.

Burke stated Arizon would be on site Monday to assess the damage and develop a repair plan. He said the district will have a better idea of how long the dome will be out of commission following those inspections.

“I think there’s two parts as far as when it will be operational – when we’ll able to use it again,” Burke said. “One is fixing the tears and then inflating it. Once we inflate it, (the question) is what needs to be fixed with lights and other things that are in there.

“Our business manager (Robert Thom) has already contacted the insurance company and Arizon as far as warranties and so that we will have some more clarity with that also,” he added.

It was not immediately clear how much damage was sustained to equipment or fixtures inside the dome, however, a River News reporter observed a damaged portable basketball hoop, a damaged light fixture and minor flooding inside the dome Sunday morning near where the large hole was located on the west side of the building.

In addition to high school athletic practice, games and community use, the Hodag Dome was slated to be the polling place for the City of Rhinelander for Tuesday’s spring election. In a Facebook post Sunday, city officials stated they were working with state and local officials regarding an alternate venue for voting. Details had not be finalized as of press time.

Power was knocked out to tens of thousands in the Northwoods early Sunday morning as an ice storm enveloped the area with anywhere between a quarter to in excess of a half inch of ice. The storm had already impacted activities inside the dome prior to Sunday’s incident. In preparation for the storm Friday night, the dome had already cancelled all of Sunday’s activities, including the final day of the Danny Mac Classic high school softball tournament and the second day of the YMCA of the Northwoods Clash of the Paddles pickleball tournament. 

The dome’s closure comes during one of the busiest times of the year for the facility, at least in terms of use by the district. All of Rhinelander High School’s WIAA-sanctioned spring sports utilize the dome for practices and/or competition. The Hodag boys’ tennis and golf teams were slated to begin practice for the season on Monday, joining track and field, softball, baseball and girls’ soccer, which had already begun. 

Additionally, the dome was slated to host a round-robin softball tournament on Monday and three high school soccer games this Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The status of the soccer games was uncertain as of press time, as they could be moved outdoors to the adjacent Mike Webster Stadium, should field conditions permit. 

In the interim, Paulson stated he was working with spring sports coaches to devise a practice schedule and with other schools to reschedule games as needed.

“We’ll put together a plan for practices between the indoor gym and out at the track and on the turf football field. So we’ll have some options,” Paulson said.

The Hodag Dome was constructed in 2020 and, at 128,000 square feet, is the largest air-supported high school dome in the country. In addition to hosting district and community events, the dome hosts several youth and collegiate events, especially during the winter months. In a recent Facebook post, the Hodag Dome stated it hosted 69 different teams during the month of February and that – combined with tournaments at the Rhinelander Ice Arena – generated more than $2.5 million in economic impact to the community during the month.

“The dome is a fantastic resource for a community and just kind of monitoring some of the things that have been on the website, mostly it’s been supportive and I think people see the value of what the dome can bring,” Burke said.

“The Hodag Dome is great. It’s unbelievable in what it’s done for the community, and what I want people to know is that we’ll be back up and running more than anything,” Paulson added. “I’ve had hundreds of people already reach out, you know, in messaging, and it’s just hard to respond to everybody at this time, but more than anything, we’re I truly believe that we’re going to be OK.”

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].