The roof panels of the Tampa Bay Rays’ home base were torn to shreds by Hurricane Milton, sending debris flying across the field and bleachers after the deadly storm hit Florida.
Only a few essential personnel were inside Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg when the storm hit, team officials said. Aerial video and images showed the roof of the dome-shaped building was completely destroyed, leaving a clear line of sight to the stadium.
No injuries were reported from the arena.
It is the latest sports venue to be severely damaged by the weather. Let’s take a look at some others.
Video shared on social media shows part of Tropicana Field’s roof being torn off.
Minnesota Vikings roof collapse
On December 12, 2010, heavy snow blew a hole in the roof of the Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis.
At least three large panels collapsed, prompting officials to postpone the Vikings’ home game against the New York Giants scheduled for the next day. The game was postponed to Monday and was played in Detroit.
The roof was replaced, but the stadium was demolished four years later.
Dallas Cowboys practice facility collapses
On May 2, 2009, the Dallas Cowboys’ practice facility collapsed in a storm, injuring approximately 12 players and coaches. Special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis and 33-year-old scouting assistant Rich Boehm were the most seriously injured. Decamiris needed surgery to stabilize a fractured vertebrae in his neck, and Boehm had his vertebrae severed, leaving him permanently paralyzed from the waist down.
Georgia Dome was shredded
On March 14, 2008, a severe storm tore a hole in the roof of the Georgia Dome during the Southeastern Conference Tournament. The storm delayed Mississippi State’s win over Alabama by more than an hour and also postponed the Georgia-Kentucky game.
With 2 minutes and 11 seconds remaining in overtime and Mississippi State leading, a loud explosion echoed inside the dome. Beams near the roof of the dome began to shake, and large sections were torn off, causing debris to fall, including nuts and bolts.
Bulldogs and Crimson Tide players and coaches, along with the coaches’ wives and children, were sent to the locker rooms, and stadium officials began evacuating fans from the upper reaches of the stadium.
SEC officials ended up moving other tournament games to Georgia Tech’s Alexander Memorial Coliseum.
Superdome damaged by Hurricane Katrina
When Hurricane Katrina made landfall in New Orleans on August 25, 2005, the Superdome was used as an evacuation center for approximately 30,000 people. Hours after the ordeal began, parts of the roof began to peel off due to strong winds. Despite the pouring rain, sunlight could be seen from inside the dome.
Within two days, the Superdome had no air conditioning and temperatures reached 90 degrees. Due to massive flooding from the broken levee, the Superdome gradually began to fill with water, but the water was confined to the level of the fields. The Superdome was eventually forced to vacate and the group relocated to the Astrodome in Houston.
The Saints played the entire regular season on the road, having to split games between their temporary home at the Alamodome in San Antonio and LSU’s Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. They also played their first home game at Giants Stadium in New Jersey.
The restoration of the Superdome, which reopened for the Saints’ first home game in 2006, cost approximately $185 million.
