Rays react to Hurricane Milton decimating their home Tropicana Field roof

The Tampa Bay Rays person responded to their location Tropicana Field being decimated by Hurricane Milton, arsenic the extortion was ripped to shreds connected Wednesday night. 

Videos and pictures went viral connected societal media, arsenic pieces of the extortion were flapping successful the destructive winds, and it was wide the apical of the dome was wide open. 

The Rays noted successful a connection that it whitethorn instrumentality respective weeks to measure conscionable however overmuch harm was done to the field. 

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Tropicana Field the greeting aft Hurricane Milton deed the region, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, successful St. Petersburg, Florida. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

"Over the coming days and weeks, we expect to beryllium capable to measure the existent information of Tropicana Field," the squad stated connected Thursday. "In the meantime, we are moving with instrumentality enforcement to unafraid the building. We inquire for your patience astatine this time, and we promote those who tin to donate to organizations successful our assemblage that are assisting those straight impacted by these storms."

The squad noted that nary injuries occurred erstwhile the tempest damaged the stadium. 

"The Trop" had a tiny fig of "essential personnel" who were wrong the tract astatine the clip the extortion was blown apart. 

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

The Rays announced anterior to the hurricane making landfall that it worked with authorities and section exigency absorption partners to assistance efforts successful debris removal, utilizing Tropicana Field’s abstraction for the lineman and archetypal responders gearing up for tempest recovery. 

However, those plans changed, according to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, aft the forecast made galore deliberation the extortion wouldn’t beryllium capable to withstand the winds. They were correct. 

"They were relocated," DeSantis said Thursday morning. "Tropicana Field is simply a regular staging country for these things. The extortion connected that… I deliberation rated for 110 mph and truthful the forecast changes, but arsenic it became wide that determination was going to beryllium thing of that magnitude that was going to beryllium wrong the distance, they redeployed them retired of Tropicana. There were nary authorities assets that were wrong Tropicana Field."

The squad noted that nary injuries occurred erstwhile the tempest damaged the stadium. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

The Rays accidental the extortion was built to withstand winds up to 115 mph, but present determination are a batch of questions astir what the MLB franchise volition bash from here. 

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

The team’s location since 1998 successful its inaugural season, the Rays precocious had support by the St. Petersburg City Council and Pinellas County Commission to physique a caller stadium successful the historical Gas Plant District. More than $6 cardinal is expected to beryllium invested successful the St. Petersburg country implicit a 20-year period, though the tract is expected for Opening Day 2028. 

Other than the Rays, the Tampa Bay Lightning is postponing their location opener arsenic the caller NHL run begins. They were expected to look the Carolina Hurricanes connected Saturday, but the league announced a postponement amid betterment efforts. 

The Rays noted successful a connection that it whitethorn instrumentality respective weeks to measure however overmuch harm was done to the field. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

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Hurricane Milton is the 2nd strategy to rotation done the Tampa Bay area, arsenic Hurricane Helene crushed the Florida Gulf Coast and near astatine slightest 230 radical dead. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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