The roof of Tropicana Field was quickly destroyed as Hurricane Milton made landfall in the Tampa Bay area Wednesday night.
The storm, which reached Category 5 status in the Gulf of Mexico earlier this week, hit Florida’s west coast Wednesday night. Within hours, large chunks of the roof at the home of the Tampa Bay Rays began to peel off.
The Rays announced before the storm hit that the stadium was not being used as a shelter for residents and was being set up as a staging area for first responders. There were no reported injuries as of Wednesday night, according to Mark Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was also quickly submerged in water. Unlike Tropicana Field, the stadium does not have a roof. The Buccaneers are on the road this week and left town early to avoid the hurricane.
Hurricane Milton formed in the Gulf of Mexico in recent days and quickly reached Category 5 status. It made landfall near Sarasota, Florida as a Category 3 storm. Forecasters warned that storm surge could reach up to 13 feet in some parts of the Tampa Bay area, and severe warnings had been issued by authorities in the days before the storm. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor even warned residents living in mandatory evacuation zones that staying there would surely lead to death.
“I can say this without any dramatization: If you choose to stay in the evacuation zone, you are going to die,” Castor told CNN.
More than 1.6 million Floridians were without power as of Wednesday night, and there were more than 20 reports of tornadoes or tornado-related damage across the state, according to the New York Times.
Tropicana Field is located in St. Petersburg, Florida, across the bay from Tampa. It first opened in 1990 and can accommodate over 42,700 fans. This stadium is the only stadium in the league with a fixed roof. Raymond James Stadium is located in Tampa. It opened in 1998 and seats approximately 75,000 people.
Hurricane Milton is expected to move off Florida’s east coast by Thursday morning.
