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The roof of the Tampa Bay Rays stadium was destroyed by Hurricane Milton
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The roof of the Tampa Bay Rays stadium was destroyed by Hurricane Milton

Hurricane Milton spared nothing in its path, including Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, as it devastated Florida’s Gulf Coast Wednesday evening.

The Category 3 storm quickly shredded the stadium’s roof panels and scattered debris across the field and a large part of the seating areas.

Drone videos and images showed the roof of the domed building was completely torn to shreds, leaving a clear view of the stadium.

No injuries were reported at the stadium after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said earlier this week that there was a plan to use the ballpark as a “temporary base camp” to support debris removal operations and temporarily house first responders.

They have been moved,” DeSantis said at a news conference Thursday morning. “Tropicana Field is a routine gathering place for these things. The roof on that… I think it has a speed of 110 mph and so the predictions change, but when it became clear that there was going to be something of that size within the distance, they moved them from Tropicana. . There were no government properties within Tropicana Field.

There was no immediate determination on the extent of damage to the facility or how long the roof replacement could take.

According to the Rays, the roof is designed to withstand winds of up to 115 mph. The stadium opened in 1990 at an initial cost of $138 million and will be replaced by a $1.3 billion ballpark in time for the 2028 season.

In a message to fans on Thursday, the team said they were “devastated by the damage suffered by so many.”

“In recent weeks, our beloved city, region and state have been hit by Hurricanes Helene and Milton,” the team wrote on X. “We are devastated by the damage suffered by so many. Our priority is supporting our community and our staff. We are fortunate and grateful that no one was injured due to the damage to our ballpark. In 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 are able to donate to organizations in our community that are helping those directly affected by these storms.

Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key Wednesday evening, wreaking havoc across the state, destroying homes and killing at least five people.

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Editor’s note: The Associated Press contributed to this article.