Hurricane Milton rip to shreds ‘The Trop’ roof

Image: Tropicana Field, Opakapaka, Public Domain

The Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida (US), the home of the Major League Baseball (MLB) team Tampa Bay Rays, was badly damaged on the night of October 9^th as Hurricane Milton slammed the region.

‘CBS NEWS’ stated that a video posted and aerial photos of the stadium show that the fabric that served as the domed building’s roof has been ripped to shreds.

The 42,735-capacity Tropicana Field is a multipurpose domed stadium located in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. ‘The Trop’ has been the home of Major League Baseball’s (MLB’s) Tampa Bay Rays since the team’s inaugural season in 1998.

The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League East Division.

‘CBS NEWS’ further stated that the 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.

The former National Football League (NFL) team Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Dave Moore also posted images of the damaged stadium on social media.

The Tropicana Field had been hosting thousands of linemen and National Guard members as they prepared to respond to damage from the storm. Photos from earlier this week showed rows of cots covering the baseball diamond.

The Governor of Florida 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.

The Rays media guide reported that the 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 the Tropicana Field, wind gusts up to 101 mph during the 10 pm hour was recorded.

The stadium in St. Petersburg opened in 1990 and initially cost $138 million. It is due to be replaced in time for the 2028 season with a $1.3 billion ballpark.

After making landfall near Sarasota with a Category 3 status, Hurricane Milton weakened to a Category 1 storm as it crossed Florida and is expected to weaken further as it moves out over the Atlantic Ocean.

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