Update: Roof of Tampa Bay Rays Ballpark Completely Taken Off in Hurricane Milton

Hurricane Milton made landfall on the west coast of Florida earlier than expected on Wednesday, with Tropicana Field taking a serious beating.

The Tampa Bay Rays logo on a batting helmet prior to the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field in 2022. / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Update, 7:50 a.m. (Thursday): The roof is completely gone, as evidenced by the video below. Tropicana Field had been being used as a staging area for emergency personnel.

El ojo del huracán Milton ya está en el Atlántico. Su paso por Florida deja inundaciones, tornados y 3 millones de personas sin electricidad. La zona de Sarasota, la más impactada. El techo del Tropicana Field arrancado por los vientos en St Petersburg. pic.twitter.com/yernQmzvSK

— Dori Toribio (@DoriToribio) October 10, 2024

Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays, is taking a serious beating in the early stages of Hurricane Milton.

The storm, which has been projected to be incredibly devastating, made landfall earlier than expected on Wednesday night, with the roof of Tropicana Field becoming extremely compromised. Tropicana Field is located in St. Petersburg.

Before the storm made landfall, President Joe Biden had said that this is "looking like the storm of the century." His comments were put out by FOX News,

Several people on social media have posted photos and videos including Tampa Bay Buccaneers broadcaster Dave Moore.

The view from our window as we ride out the storm. The roof of Tropicana Field is destroyed by the winds of #HurricaneMilton . Praying for Tampa Bay and all areas affected. Stay safe, everyone

The view from our window as we ride out the storm. The roof of Tropicana Field is destroyed by the winds of #HurricaneMilton. Praying for Tampa Bay and all areas affected. Stay safe, everyone pic.twitter.com/uy0aNGMAuJ

— Dave Moore (@DaveMoore_83) October 10, 2024

You can see more photos and videos below:

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

Tropicana field is losing its roof #HurricaneMilton pic.twitter.com/z8F1HeT08f

— Seth Weaver (@seth_weaver6) October 10, 2024

Tropicana Field has served as the home of the Rays since the franchise began play in 1998. It's been a constant source of frustration for the organization because of its cavernous nature and inability to draw fans. The Rays have been looking to get a new ballpark for years and have finally gotten approval for one. They are scheduled to begin play at a new facility in 2028.

Tropicana Field actually opened up in 1990 and was used by other sports before becoming the home of the Rays.

Per the team website:

Though originally built for baseball, there have been 14 other sports and competitive events held there. These include hockey, basketball, football, sprint car racing, gymnastics, soccer, tennis, weight lifting, table tennis, karate, motorcycle racing, equestrian events, track and figure skating.

In addition to the 2008 World Series, the facility was also home to the 1999 NCAA Basketball Final Four featuring Duke, Ohio State, Michigan State and eventual-champion Connecticut.

We will have more updates on this story throughout the day on Thursday.

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