Hurricane Milton rips roof off Tropicana Field — Tampa Bay Rays stadium that was used as staging site for responders
Follow live updates on Hurricane Milton here, including the latest on the impact of the storm.
Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays, was badly damaged Wednesday night as Hurricane Milton slammed the region. Video posted by CBS affiliate WTSP and aerial photos of the stadium show that the fabric that served as the domed building's roof had been ripped to shreds.
St. Petersburg Fire Rescue confirmed that there were no injuries in the incident. It was not immediately clear how much damage there was inside the stadium.
Drone video posted on social media showed the roof completely ripped to shreds with debris all over the field.
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Dave Moore also posted images of the damaged stadium on social media.
The view from our window as we ride out the storm. The roof of Tropicana Field is destroyed by the winds of #HurricaneMilton. Praying for Tampa Bay and all areas affected. Stay safe, everyone pic.twitter.com/uy0aNGMAuJ
— Dave Moore (@DaveMoore_83) October 10, 2024
WTSP reported that Tropicana Field had been hosting thousands of linemen and National Guard members as they prepared to respond to damage from the storm. Photos from earlier this week showed rows of cots covering the baseball diamond.
Gov. Ron DeSantis' press secretary, Jeremy Redfern, said in a social media post that the staging area had already been relocated before the roof was damaged.
CBS Sports, citing the Rays media guide, reported that Tropicana Field features the world's largest cable-supported domed roof and is "built to withstand winds of up to 115 miles per hour."
According to the National Weather Service, Albert Whitted Airport, which is located about six minutes away from Tropicana Field, recorded wind gusts up to 101 mph during the 10 p.m. hour.
The stadium in St. Petersburg opened in 1990 and initially cost $138 million, according to The Associated Press. It was due to be replaced in time for the 2028 season with a $1.3 billion ballpark.
After making landfall near Sarasota with a Category 3 status, Hurricane Milton weakened to a Category 1 storm as it crossed Florida, and was expected to weaken further as it moves out over the Atlantic Ocean.