Hurricane Milton Rips Off Roof of Rays’ Tropicana Field Stadium

Hurricane Milton tore through southern Florida on Wednesday, and when it made landfall in the Tampa Bay Area, the storm caused significant damage to the roof of Tropicana Field.

The St. Petersburg stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, was being used as a staging area for first responders.

According to the team’s media guide, the stadium’s roof is made of “six acres of translucent, Teflon-coated fiberglass and support itself with 180 miles of cables connected by struts.” While the roof was reportedly designed to withstand winds of up to 115 mph, big chunks of the roof began to fly off the stadium within a few hours of the storm.

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Videos circulated on social media of the devastation, which included the roof being ripped-off the stadium. Debris covered the field and seating areas.

#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

#TropicanaField roof is coming off @RaysTheRoofTB pic.twitter.com/GNGpNcXiuV

— Bill Carl Johnson (@BC_Johnson) October 10, 2024

Here’s some drone video we shot giving you a look at the extensive damage to the roof and the inside of Tropicana Field, the home of @RaysBaseball. pic.twitter.com/WLL1uD8PHh

— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) October 10, 2024

One of my security agents inside @tropicanafield pic.twitter.com/eFyHOvPZQm

— Ryan Stryker (@Stryker175) October 10, 2024

The Rays told the Associated Press that all staff inside the stadium were safe and no injuries were reported. The team noted that no official determination regarding damage inside the stadium would be made until conditions are safe to enter the area. Additionally, there was no word regarding how long a roof replacement would take or if alternate arrangements would need to be made for the 2025 season.

Raymond James Stadium, home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was also hit by the hurricane. The stadium, alike Tropicana Field, does not have a roof and was overcome with water. The Buccs, however, were on the road, as the team left early to avoid the storm.