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High winds from Hurricane Milton destroyed most of the roof of the Rays’ home stadium, videos from Wednesday night showed.
The winds tore the panels off the metal frame of the famous Tropicana Field roof, leaving the St. Petersburg stadium exposed to the elements.
The baseball stadium was supposed to be a staging ground for first responders as the hurricane lashes Florida, but a spokesperson for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said shortly after midnight that “this staging area was already relocated.” The Rays had said as much over the weekend, posting: “Tropicana Field is NOT being used as a shelter.”
#TropicanaField roof ripped off by #HurricaneMilton in Tampa St. Pete #RaysBaseball #RaysUp #Tropicanastadium #MLB @jpetramala pic.twitter.com/IfIWYm5hNq
— WxChasing- Brandon Clement (@bclemms) October 10, 2024
The videos showed small remainders of the panels attached to the frame waving in the wind, while the Rays’ field—visible from the sky—was covered in debris from the destroyed panels.
A section of the Rays’ media guide about the roof and its fiberglass panels says the following about the roof:
- It’s the “world’s largest cable-supported domed roof”
- “It is made of six acres of translucent, Teflon-coated fiberglass”
- The roof is “built to withstand winds of up to 115 miles per hour”
The Rays told the Associated Press that all staff inside the stadium Wednesday night were safe.
The devastating effects of the hurricane on Florida were only becoming clear Thursday morning. St. Petersburg was under a boil water notice after a water main broke, while millions were without power in the region. A handful of deaths were confirmed by Thursday morning.
It’s not at all clear what the prognosis is for the Rays and the stadium now that the fiberglass panels have largely been destroyed. The Rays, scheduled to move into a new St. Petersburg ballpark in 2028, play in MLB’s last permanently domed stadium. (The other teams—largely in the Sun Belt—that play indoors have retractable roofs.)
“We are fortunate and grateful that no one was hurt by the damage to our ballpark last night,” the Rays said in a statement Thursday afternoon. “Over the coming days and weeks, we expect to be able to assess the true condition of Tropicana Field. In the meantime, we are working with law enforcement to secure the building.”
An NBA preseason game scheduled between the Magic and Pelicans for Friday was canceled.
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