Rays respond to Hurricane Milton decimating the roof of their Tropicana Field home

The Tampa Bay Rays have responded to their home stadium, Tropicana Field, being decimated by Hurricane Milton as the roof was blown to pieces on Wednesday night.

Videos and images went viral on social media as parts of the roof flapped in the destructive winds and it was clear that the top of the dome was wide open.

The Rays noted in a statement that it could take several weeks to determine how much damage was done on the field.

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Tropicana Field the morning after Hurricane Milton hit the region, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Florida. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

“We expect to be able to assess the actual condition of Tropicana Field in the coming days and weeks,” the team said Thursday. “In the meantime, we are working with law enforcement to secure the building. We ask for your patience at this time and encourage those who can to donate to organizations in our community that are helping those directly affected by these storms.”

The team noted that there were no injuries when the storm damaged the stadium.

The Trop had a small number of “essential personnel” on the field at the time the roof was blown up.

ROOF OF TROPICANA FIELD, HOME OF THE MLB'S TAMPA BAY RAYS, WAS RIPPED UP BY HURRICANE MILTON

The Rays announced before the hurricane hit that they had been working with state and local emergency management partners to assist with debris removal and were using the Tropicana Field space for the lineman and first responders preparing to recover from the storm.

However, according to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, those plans changed after the weather forecast led many to believe the roof would not be able to withstand the winds. You were right.

“They have been relocated,” DeSantis said Thursday morning. “Tropicana Field is a routine site for this sort of thing. The roof on it… I think it's rated for 110 miles per hour, so the forecast changes, but when it became clear that there was going to be something of that magnitude there, it was going to be there.” Because of the distance, they became Tropicana relocated. There were no government assets located within the Tropicana field.

Tropicana Field aerial view of a decimated roof

The team noted that there were no injuries when the storm damaged the stadium. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

The Rays say the roof was built to withstand winds of up to 115 mph, but now there are many questions about what the MLB franchise will do from here.

Tampa Bay is not expected to use the field until March 27, Opening Day 2025, for games against the Colorado Rockies.

The Rays have been the team's home since their inaugural season in 1998 and recently received approval from the St. Petersburg City Council and the 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 region over 20 years, but the field is expected to open in 2028.

Unlike the Rays, the Tampa Bay Lightning are postponing their home opener as the new NHL season begins. They were expected to face the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, but the league announced a postponement due to recovery efforts.