Roof Of Toms River Schools' Indoor Sports 'Bubble' Partially Collapses Under Snow

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The blizzard that has dumped more than 2 feet of snow on Ocean County Saturday has caused a partial collapse of the Bubble in Toms River.

Toms River Regional School District officials confirmed a photo circulating on social media sites showing the interior of the John Bennett Indoor Athletic Complex on Hooper Avenue was taken Saturday and said officials are addressing the partial collapse.

"The John Bennett Athletic Complex Bubble has been compromised by the accumulation of ice, snow, and wind, and the pressure those elements caused," Michael Kenny, a district spokesman, said by email Saturday afternoon.

Toms River had received at least 14 inches of snow, reports to the National Weather Service said.

"We knew about the situation immediately since, during storms like this, we monitor the Bubble," he said.

The district already has consulted with the inspector from the buildings department, the Toms River Fire Department, and the team from Asati, the manufacturer and designer of the Bubble, he said.

"Thus far, no damage such as rips or tears has been reported, although it's difficult to accurately assess at this time because of the weather," Kenny said.

Officials were deflating the Bubble, which Kenny said is done in stages, and was expected to be completely deflated by late afternoon Saturday.

The collapse comes right in the heart of the winter track season for New Jersey high school students, and the Bubble is a popular venue for those events. Several meets are scheduled in the coming days, according to NJMilesplit.com, including the NJSIAA state sectional championships on Feb. 11.

"Once the weather and structure are deemed safe, we do plan to reinflate the structure," Kenny said.

The Toms River Fire Prevention Inspectors union posted photos on Facebook and said it had inspected the Bubble.

"The nonessential utilities were secured and the building was posted unsafe," the post said.

The Bubble collapsed and was significantly damaged during Superstorm Sandy when strong winds and power outages caused a tear when the roof caught on a scoreboard on Oct. 29, 2012. It was restored and back in service in early January 2013.

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