Floridians are waking up to the damage caused by Hurricane Milton.
Some of the most notable damage, at least as of early Thursday morning, included Tropicana Stadium, home of the St. Petersburg Major League Baseball team’s Tampa Bay Rays.
The fabric used as the roof for Tropicana Field was torn to shreds by strong winds. It was not immediately clear if there was damage inside, however Drone video It shows heavy debris scattered throughout the stadium, with very little of the roof remaining intact.
Reyes said there were only essential personnel inside the stadium Wednesday night, and all of them were safe and accounted for. It was not used as a shelter and first responders were not staged there, the team said, adding that no official determination could be made on damage until the storm passed and conditions were safe.
The team previously said Tropicana Field features the world’s largest cable-stayed domed roof, with panels made of “transparent Teflon-coated fiberglass” supported by 180 miles of cables attached to trusses.
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The roof is designed to withstand winds of up to 115 mph (185 km/h), according to the Rays. The stadium was opened in 1990 at an initial cost of $138 million. It is scheduled to be replaced in time for the 2028 season with a $1.3 billion stadium.
A preseason game in Orlando between the Magic and New Orleans Pelicans, which was scheduled for Friday, was canceled even before Milton arrived in the state. The match will not be rescheduled.
A crane in downtown St. Petersburg also overturned and fell into the Tampa Bay Times Building, collapsing several floors and leaving a large hole in the structure. Other cranes in the city fell due to the force of Milton’s winds, which reached a maximum speed of 145 mph (233 km/h).
& Edition 2024 The Canadian Press
