The Tampa Bay Rays have responded to their home Tropicana Field being decimated by Hurricane Milton, as the roof was ripped to shreds on Wednesday night.
Videos and pictures went viral on social media, as pieces of the roof were flapping in the destructive winds, and it was clear the top of the dome was wide open.
The Rays noted in a statement that it may take several weeks to assess just how much damage was done to the field.
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"Over the coming days and weeks, we expect to be able to assess the true condition of Tropicana Field," the team stated on Thursday. "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."
The team noted that no injuries occurred when the storm damaged the stadium.
"The Trop" had a small number of "essential personnel" who were inside the field at the time the roof was blown apart.
ROOF OF TROPICANA FIELD, HOME OF MLB'S TAMPA BAY RAYS, RIPPED OPEN BY HURRICANE MILTON
The Rays announced prior to the hurricane making landfall that it worked with state and local emergency management partners to aid efforts in debris removal, using Tropicana Field’s space for the lineman and first responders gearing up for storm recovery.
However, those plans changed, according to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, after the forecast made many think the roof wouldn’t be able to withstand the winds. They were correct.
"They were relocated," DeSantis said Thursday morning. "Tropicana Field is a routine staging area for these things. The roof on that… I think rated for 110 mph and so the forecast changes, but as it became clear that there was going to be something of that magnitude that was going to be within the distance, they redeployed them out of Tropicana. There were no state assets that were inside Tropicana Field."
The Rays say the roof was built to withstand winds up to 115 mph, but now there are a lot of questions about what the MLB franchise will do from here.
Tampa Bay is not expected to use the field for games until March 27, which is Opening Day 2025 against the Colorado Rockies.
The team’s home since 1998 in its inaugural season, the Rays recently had approval by the St. Petersburg City Council and Pinellas County Commission to build a new stadium in the historic Gas Plant District. More than $6 billion is expected to be invested in the St. Petersburg area over a 20-year period, though the field is expected for Opening Day 2028.
Other than the Rays, the Tampa Bay Lightning is postponing their home opener as the new NHL campaign begins. They were expected to face the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, but the league announced a postponement amid recovery efforts.
Hurricane Milton is the second system to roll through the Tampa Bay area, as Hurricane Helene crushed the Florida Gulf Coast and left at least 230 people dead.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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