Wild Video Shows Hurricane Milton Destroying Tropicana Field’s Roof
Unbelievable drone footage posted to X (formerly Twitter) by Tampa Rays correspondent Ryan Bass shows the roof of Tropicana Field completely torn away after Hurricane Milton’s landfall.
The roof of Tropicana Field was designed to withstand wind speeds of up to 115 MPH, but forecasts on Wednesday night clocked winds coming at only 101 MPH. In addition to the video shared by Bass, multiple clips of the wind ripping apart the famed stadium’s roof popped up online throughout the evening.
Roof is gone at Tropicana Field #milton #rays
— Nick Burch (@PageWebber) October 10, 2024
Video by: Nick Friedman@mysuncoast @WESH pic.twitter.com/VME6Um351J
Here’s some drone video we shot giving you a look at the extensive damage to the roof and the inside of Tropicana Field, the home of @RaysBaseball. pic.twitter.com/WLL1uD8PHh
— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) October 10, 2024
Holy shit Tropicana field… the whole damn roof is gone. pic.twitter.com/Dnl46ALr20
— DaddyDimmuTV (@DaddyDimmuTv) October 10, 2024
Tampa resident Bill Johnson, 57, was staying at a relative’s house with a view of the stadium and watched as the storm procedurally ripped away pieces of thin fiberglass until there was nothing left. Johnson told The New York Times that he watched the roof disappear for over 30 minutes, first notice small tears in the canvas before entire swatches were torn asunder.
“It just makes me sad seeing the stadium of the team I love ruined,” Johnson said.
Unbelievable‼️ Hurricane Milton has ripped the roof off Tropicana Field, the Tampa Bay Rays’ stadium.
— Akshitha Reddy ???? (@Queen__Akshitha) October 10, 2024
This place was supposed to be a refuge for thousands of evacuees and emergency workers.
Eerie reminders of Katrina with this devastation. Stay safe ???????? ???? #HurricanMilton… pic.twitter.com/BGzYGh6h8g
The tragic turn of events comes just days after Governor Ron Desantis announced that Tropicana Field would be used as a 10,000-person basecamp “to support ongoing debris operations and post-landfall responders.” Jeremy Redfern, a Desantis spokesperson, announced Thursday morning that the headquarters had been moved to Jacksonville.
The Tampa Rays informed fans through a social media post on Sunday that “Tropicana Field is NOT being used as a shelter” and advised residents to follow state evacuation guidelines.
OMG. We all had a collected gasp when we saw this from our reporter. The fabric on the roof of Tropicana Field is shredded. #StPete #Milton pic.twitter.com/36UKLO9cK6
— Jason Adams (@JasonAdamsWFTS) October 10, 2024