Hours after Hurricane Milton made landfall roughly 70 miles south of Tampa Bay, the Category 3 storm, on its way through the city, ripped the roof off of the Tampa Bay Rays ballpark, Tropicana Field. Multiple videos on social media showed pieces of the roof shredded from the 100-plus MPH winds of the hurricane, though a clearer picture of the damage emerged Thursday morning via drone footage.
The Rays, in a statement released Thursday, confirmed that no injuries were sustained in the ballpark roof's destruction, and said it may take "weeks" to determine the full extent of the damage.
"During the past couple weeks, our beloved city, region and state have been impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton," the team said. "We are devastated by the damage incurred by so many. Our priority is supporting our community and our staff."
"We are fortunate and grateful that no one was hurt by the damage to our ballpark last night. 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."
"We ask for your patience at this time, and we encourage those who can to donate to organizations in our community that are assisting those directly impacted by the storm."
The Tropicana Field roof, made of Teflon-coated fiberglass, was built to withstand winds of up to 115 MPH, according to the Rays' 2024 media guide.
Florida governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday said that state officials had initially planned to use the ballpark as a base camp for 10,000 people to help with post-storm recovery. But state officials moved the camp elsewhere when it became apparent that Hurricane Milton, which had sustained winds of 120-MPH at landfall, posed a threat to Tropicana Field.
The ballpark, which opened to the public in 1990, has been the Rays' home since the club's first MLB season in '98.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Rays Say Damage to Tropicana Field From Hurricane Milton May Take Weeks to Assess .
