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Tropicana Field, destroyed by Hurricane Milton, is the latest sports venue to be damaged by the weather

Tropicana Field, destroyed by Hurricane Milton, is the latest sports venue to be damaged by the weather

Roof panels on the Tampa Bay Rays' home stadium were ripped to shreds by Hurricane Milton, scattering debris across the field and seating areas after the deadly storm hit Florida.

Team officials said only a handful of key personnel were at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg at the time of the storm. Aerial photos and images showed that the roof of the domed building was completely torn apart, allowing a clear view of the stadium.

No injuries were reported from the arena.

It is the latest sports facility to be severely damaged by the weather. Here's a look at some others:

Heavy snow ripped a hole in the roof of the Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis on December 12, 2010.

At least three large slabs collapsed, prompting officials to postpone the Vikings' home game against the New York Giants scheduled for the following day. The game was postponed to Monday and played in Detroit.

The roof was replaced, but the stadium was demolished four years later.

The Dallas Cowboys' training facility collapsed during a storm on May 2, 2009, injuring about a dozen players and coaches. Special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis and 33-year-old scouting assistant Rich Behm suffered the most serious injuries. DeCamillis required surgery to stabilize a broken vertebra in his neck, and Behm was permanently paralyzed from the waist down after his spine was severed.

During the Southeastern Conference tournament on March 14, 2008, a severe storm ripped a hole in the roof of the Georgia Dome. As a result, Mississippi State's victory over Alabama was delayed by more than an hour and a game between Georgia and Kentucky was postponed.

As Mississippi State led with 2:11 left in overtime, a loud bang was heard in the dome. The beams near the dome roof began to swing and a gaping section was torn open, with debris, including nuts and bolts, falling.

Players and coaches from the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide were sent to the locker room along with the coaches' wives and children, and stadium officials began evacuating fans from the upper reaches of the stadium.

SEC officials eventually moved other tournament games to Georgia Tech's Alexander Memorial Coliseum.

When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans on August 25, 2005, the Superdome was used as a shelter for approximately 30,000 people. A few hours into the ordeal, parts of the roof began to peel off in high winds. Daylight could be seen from inside the dome as the rain poured in.

Within two days, the Superdome had no air conditioning and temperatures reached the 90s. Significant flooding from breached levees caused the Superdome to slowly fill with water, although it remained confined to the field level. The Superdome eventually had to be evacuated and relocated en masse to the Astrodome in Houston.

The Saints were forced to play their entire regular season on the road, splitting games between their temporary headquarters at the Alamodome in San Antonio and LSU's Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. They even played their first home game at Giants Stadium in New Jersey.

Repairs to the Superdome, which reopened in 2006 for the Saints' first home game, cost about $185 million.

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AP Sports: https://apnews.com/sports

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