Tampa Bay Rays’ Tropicana Field ripped to shreds by Hurricane Milton

Tropicana Field, home to the Tampa Bay Rays, had its fabric roof ripped to shreds by Hurricane Milton this week.
Tropicana Field, home to the Tampa Bay Rays, had its fabric roof ripped to shreds by Hurricane Milton this week.

Tropicana Field, home to the Tampa Bay Rays, had its fabric roof ripped to shreds by Hurricane Milton this week.

Milton made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane having been a Category 5 just hours before it hit Tampa – home of the baseball team and former Super Bowl winners the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who play at the Raymond James Stadium.

Multiple tornadoes and a devastating storm surge, with waves as high as 30 feet, were reported.

And Tropicana Field, in St. Petersburg, Florida, felt Hurricane Milton as its fabric roof was torn to shreds.

The 42,700 capacity arena’s covering looked devastated by the storm but much of the solid structures appeared to have survived the worst of the overnight hurricane.

The 42,000 arena was hit hard
The 42,000 arena was hit hard
The arena was hit by Hurricane Milton
The arena was hit by Hurricane Milton
Roofless Tampa Bay Rays.
Roofless Tampa Bay Rays.
Devastation in Tampa. Image: Ryan Stryker
Devastation in Tampa. Image: Ryan Stryker

The stadium’s pitch was set to be used to house emergency workers in the aftermath of the storm.

The rays finished behind the Yankees, Orioles and Red Sox in their American League East table, but ahead of the Blue Jays.

A NBA game between Magic and the Pelicans in Orlando was cancelled due to Hurricane Milton.

“There’s always things bigger than the game of basketball and that’s what we have to keep our perspective on,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said.

“Knowing that there’s families and homes and situations that are going through a tough time right now, we need to be mindful of that and conscious of it.”

The Buccaneers are away from home against the Saints this weekend but will host the Ravens on Monday 22 October.