Milton damages the roof of the Rays' stadium and forces NBA preseason game to be called off
Sports
Team previously said that Tropicana Field features the world’s largest cable-supported domed roof
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The roof panels over the home of baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays were ripped to shreds after Hurricane Milton came ashore in Florida on Wednesday night, bringing wind gusts exceeding 100 mph and flooding parts of the state.
It was not immediately clear if there was damage inside Tropicana Field, located in St. Petersburg. Television images showed the swaths that serve as the domed building’s roof were completely tattered, giving a clear line of sight to the lights that were on inside the stadium.
There were only essential personnel inside the ballpark Wednesday night, all of them safe and accounted for, the Rays said. It was not being used as a shelter and no first responders were being staged there, the team said, adding that no official determination about damage can be made until the storm passes and conditions are safe.
The team previously said that Tropicana Field features the world’s largest cable-supported domed roof, with the panels made of “translucent, Teflon-coated fiberglass” supported by 180 miles of cables connected by struts.
The roof was designed to withstand wind of up to 115 mph, according to the Rays. The stadium opened in 1990 and initially cost $138 million. It is due to be replaced in time for the 2028 season with a $1.3 billion ballpark.
