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TAMPA, Fla. (TNND) — Hurricane Milton spared nothing in its path including Tropicana Field,the home of the Tampa Bay Rays, when it pummeled the Gulf Coast of Florida Wednesday night.
The Category 3 storm took no time shredding the roof panels atop the stadium and scattering debris across the field and much of the seating areas.
Drone video and images showed the domed building’s roof completely tattered, giving a clear line of sight into the stadium.
No injuries were reported at the stadium after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said earlier in the week there was a plan to use the ballpark as a "temporary base camp" to support debris cleanup operations and temporarily house first responders.
They were relocated,” DeSantis said at a Thursday morning news conference. “Tropicana Field is a routine staging area for these things. The roof on that ... I think it's rated for 110 mph and so the forecast changes, but as it became clear that there was going to be something of that magnitude that was going to be within the distance, they redeployed them out of Tropicana. There were no state assets that were inside Tropicana Field.
There was no immediate determination about the amount of damage inside the facility or word on how long the roof replacement may take.
The roof was designed to withstand wind of up to 115 mph, according to the Rays. The stadium opened in 1990 at an initial cost $138 million and is due to be replaced in time for the 2028 season with a $1.3 billion ballpark.
In a message to fans Thursday, the team said they were "devastated by the damage incurred by so many."
"During the past couple of weeks, our beloved city, region and state have been impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton," the team wrote on X. "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 these storms."
Hurricane Milton made landfallnear Siesta Key Wednesday night wreaking havoc around the state, destroying homes and leaving at least five people dead.
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