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The roof of Tropicana Field, home of the MLB's Tampa Bay Rays, was ripped open by Hurricane Milton

The roof of Tropicana Field, home of the MLB's Tampa Bay Rays, was ripped open by Hurricane Milton

When Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida on Wednesday evening, a major sports team in the state was already feeling its damage.

Tropicana Field, home of the MLB's Tampa Bay Rays and a refuge for first responders before the hurricane makes landfall, was destroyed by Hurricane Milton's destructive winds.

The video went viral on social media and shows part of the dome roof fully open and fluttering in the strong hurricane winds.

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Exterior view of Tropicana field

A general view of Tropicana Field before opening day between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Toronto Blue Jays. (Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports)

According to WFTS meteorologist Jason Adams, the Fire Department and EMS are thankfully reporting no injuries as emergency responders and first responders were there recovering from the storm.

Another video from the roof shows how much of it was removed. The extent of the damage inside the building is currently unknown.

The Rays announced before the hurricane hit that they had been working with state and local emergency management partners to support debris removal efforts and were using the Tropicana Field space for lineman and first responders preparing to recover from the storm .

However, the Rays were careful to mention that it would not be used as a shelter and encouraged people in the St. Petersburg area to follow storm guidelines.

General view of Tropicana Field from the inside

A general view of the stadium before a game between the Chicago Cubs and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports)

The field, known as “The Trop,” has been home to the Rays since its inaugural season in 1998, although the team soon hoped to upgrade its franchise with a brand new stadium.

In 2023, the team announced a deal with local politicians to build a new stadium, known as “Gas Plant Stadium,” near Tropicana Field for a whopping $1.2 billion. However, the St. Petersburg City Council blocked a proposal because half of the stadium's funding would come from taxpayers' money.

Finally, in July, a proposal was approved by the St. Petersburg City Council and the Pinellas County Commission that calls for massive improvements to the area outside the stadium, including residential units, affordable housing, office/medical space, retail space and more.

However, construction on the new stadium has not yet begun and it is not expected to be used by the Rays until Opening Day 2028 when it is completed.

General view of the Tropicana field

A general view of the stadium before a game between the Oakland Athletics and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports)

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However, the Rays have a more pressing problem at the moment, as the roof of their home was destroyed the night Hurricane Milton hit Florida and the damage was even worse from Hurricane Helene.

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