Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays, was badly damaged last week as Hurricane Milton slammed the region. A video posted by Tampa news outlet WTSP showed the fabric that serves as the domed building’s roof had been ripped to shreds.
St. Petersburg Fire Rescue confirmed that there were no injuries in the incident. It was not immediately clear how much damage there was inside the stadium.
Drone video posted on social media showed the roof completely ripped to shreds with debris all over the field.
WTSP reported that Tropicana Field had been hosting thousands of linemen and National Guard members as they prepared to respond to damage from the storm.
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ press secretary, Jeremy Redfern, said in a social media post that the staging area had already been relocated before the roof was damaged.
CBS Sports, citing the Rays media guide, reported that Tropicana Field features the world’s largest cable-supported domed roof and is “built to withstand winds of up to 115 miles per hour.”
According to the National Weather Service, Albert Whitted Airport, which is located about six minutes away from Tropicana Field, recorded wind gusts up to 101 mph during the 10 p.m. hour.
The stadium in St. Petersburg opened in 1990 and initially cost $138 million. It was due to be replaced in time for the 2028 season with a $1.3 billion ballpark.
