The roof of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, was severely damaged 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.
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."
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Tropicana Field, located in St. Petersburg, Florida, 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.
Milton had maximum sustained wind speeds of 120 mph, moving east-northeast at 15 mph upon making landfall. More than 3.3 million people across the state are without power around 7 a.m. ET, according to poweroutage.us.
The Rays team played their final home game of the 2024 season 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.
