The roof of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, was destroyed after Hurricane Milton made landfall in the area Wednesday night.
Footage captured on social media showed the fabric of the roof being completely torn, with just pieces on the sides remaining following heavy winds and rain.
#TropicanaField roof is coming off @RaysTheRoofTB pic.twitter.com/GNGpNcXiuV
— Bill Carl Johnson (@BC_Johnson) October 10, 2024
NBC News confirmed via St. Pete Fire and Rescue that there are people in the stadium, located in St. Petersburg, Florida, who are hiding in corridors. The Rays confirmed that only essential personnel were inside the ballpark Wednesday night with all being safe and accounted for.
It was not immediately known if there was damage inside the ballpark.
“Indeed, they did lose some of the roof at the Tropicana,” Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Chief Jason Dougherty said on MSNBC early Thursday local time. When asked about the status of the stadium, Dougherty said he is "sure they have a backup plan."
Tropicana Field was built to sustain winds of 115 mph, according to the Rays. The stadium's roof is supported by 180 miles of cables connected by struts and features "translucent, Teflon-coated fiberglass" panels.
MLB
Milton had maximum sustained wind speeds of 120 mph, moving east-northeast at 15 mph upon making landfall. Over 1.5 million people across the state are without power.
The Rays are not using the stadium for baseball purposes, as the team played its final home game of 2024 on Sept. 22. The team is set to move from Tropicana Field, which opened in 1990, to a new $1.3 billion ballpark in St. Petersburg in 2028.
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