Hurricane Milton Damages Tropicana Field, Tampa Bay Rays Home

Hurricane Milton hit the west coast of Florida Wednesday night as a powerful Category 3 storm. So far, four deaths have been confirmed after several tornados swept through various parts of the state. Search and rescue efforts are still underway.

The roof of the longtime home of MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays, Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, was torn apart when more than 100 mph winds hit the area. Videos on social media show the destruction.

Here’s some drone video we shot giving you a look at the extensive damage to the roof and the inside of Tropicana Field, the home of @RaysBaseball. pic.twitter.com/WLL1uD8PHh

— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) October 10, 2024

The indoor ballpark, built in 1990, had been set up as a shelter for first responders, line workers, and other emergency personnel because the roof was built to absorb winds up to 110 mph. The plans changed, however, once the storm and direction began to take shape.

“As it became clear that there was going to be something of that magnitude that was going to be within the distance, they redeployed them out of Tropicana,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters Thursday.

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It’s unclear how much damage was sustained to the stadium.