Tropicana Field's roof ripped open during Hurricane Milton
Adam Berry
@adamdberryST. PETERSBURG -- The roof at Tropicana Field, the Rays¡¯ home ballpark, sustained significant damage as Hurricane Milton tore through Florida¡¯s Gulf Coast and the Tampa Bay area late Wednesday night.
Large sections of the Trop¡¯s domed roof were ripped off amid the Category 3 hurricane¡¯s high winds, exposing the catwalks and interior of the ballpark underneath. The roof appeared to be damaged on all sides of the stadium, flapping in the wind and eventually falling off as rain continued to fall throughout the night.
The Rays issued the following statement on their social media channels Thursday afternoon:
"During the past couple weeks, our beloved city, region and state have been impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. 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."
Tropicana Field had been designated by the state as a staging area for emergency management services, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced earlier this week, but that staging area had already been relocated by the time the storm made landfall south of St. Petersburg near Siesta Key on Wednesday night.
There were no first responders on site when the storm hit. The ballpark was not being used as a shelter, and the essential personnel who were inside at the time are all accounted for and safe.
According to the Rays¡¯ media guide, the Trop ¡°features the world¡¯s largest cable-supported domed roof,¡± which is ¡°made of six acres of translucent, Teflon-coated fiberglass and supports itself with 180 miles of cables connected by struts.¡± The tilted roof was built to withstand winds up to 115 mph, according to the club. Potential water damage could be a concern, as the Trop does not have a drainage system for the field.
Originally called the Florida Suncoast Dome, Tropicana Field was built for $138 million, opened in 1990 and has hosted Tampa Bay¡¯s club since its inaugural season in 1998. According to the team¡¯s media guide, the Rays have invested more than $57 million in upgrades to the ballpark since 2005. The team installed new Shaw Sports Turf ahead of this past season, the eighth surface they¡¯ve played on in 26 seasons.
The Rays are set to build a new, $1.3 billion ballpark on the Tropicana Field site. But the new park won¡¯t be open until 2028, at the earliest.
You can join MLB in supporting recovery efforts following Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Your donation enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from this disaster. Go to redcross.org/MLB.