Hurricane Milton’s devastating winds tore through the roof of Tropicana Field on Wednesday, with dramatic new images showing the damage to the stadium.
The St. Petersburg ballpark – home of the MLB franchise the Tampa Bay Rays – had been transformed into a base for about 10,000 first responders and emergency services in anticipation of the monster storm.
According to the NY timesThe roof was built to withstand winds of up to 185 km/h. Wind speeds of 163 km/h were observed in St. Petersburg at 10:30 PM on Wednesday.
The first images posted on social media showed huge holes in the domed roof, with material flapping in the vicious wind.
Now the full extent of Hurricane Milton’s catastrophic impact on Tropicana Field can be seen in new videos from the ballpark, which has been left virtually roofless.
Hurricane Milton’s devastating winds tore through the roof of Tropicana Field on Wednesday
Entire panels were blown off the top of the arena by the storm, while the ballpark was also cracked and covered in debris.
After Hurricane Milton hit Florida’s Gulf Coast, Friday’s NBA game in Orlando between the Magic and the New Orleans Pelicans was quickly canceled.
The Rays had no more MLB games scheduled at Tropicana Field this year after failing to make the playoffs.
The National Guard and other first responders were stationed at the ballpark to assist with the relief effort. There were no immediate reports of injuries inside.
The Rays have been based in St. Petersburg since the franchise’s first season in 1998, and late last year the team reached an agreement with the city and Pinellas County to build a new $1.3 billion ballpark on the site of Tropicana Field.
After seventeen years of waiting and failed proposals, the plan was officially approved in July.
The new stadium, which will seat up to 34,000 fans for Rays games, is expected to be completed in time for the 2028 season. Work is scheduled to start in January 2025.
The monster storm blew entire panels off the top of the MLB stadium
The home of the Tampa Bay Rays has been completely destroyed in its wake
The ballpark was initially transformed into a base for first responders ahead of the storm
As of midnight Wednesday, at least two deaths had been reported at a retirement home as a result of a suspected tornado on Florida’s east coast.
More than 1.8 million Florida homes and businesses were without power in a state that was already hit by Hurricane Helene two weeks ago.
As many as two million people were ordered to evacuate, with millions more living in the storm’s expected path.
Much of the southern US felt the deadly force of Hurricane Helene as it cut a swath of destruction through Florida and several other states. Both storms are expected to cause billions of dollars in damage.