Hurricane Milton was one of the most destructive hurricanes that ever hit the state of Florida. The destruction that occurred was unprecedented, including what happened to a large stadium.
Tropicana Field was a large stadium that was supposed to hold about 10,000 people during an emergency. It is located in Tampa Bay, but severe structural damage has occurred as a result of Hurricane Milton.
When the hurricane came through Florida on October 9, many people fled their homes before it hit land. In the days that were leading up to it, it had reached category five status, but it had dropped to a category three by the time it hit land.
Even though it wasn’t as strong as Category Five, Hurricane Milton still caused a lot of damage in the area. Anything that was in his path was subject to high winds, storm surges, tornadoes, and a wide variety of other issues.
Tropicana Field is one of the buildings that suffered damage, and it is the place where the baseball team, the Tampa Bay Rays play. It is thought that there were up to 10,000 residents who were sheltering in place when the roof was torn off of the structure by high winds.
The structure was reportedly said to be able to withstand winds of up to 115 miles an hour but Milton was producing winds that were at least 120 mph. That is where the problem occurred.
The ‘world’s largest cable-supported domed roof’ is what is reportedly at that area. Some 180 miles of cable connect the struts above the playing field. During the wind, the roof was blown off but the metal frame stayed in place.
Capt. Garth Swingle of St. Petersburg Fire Rescue has confirmed that those who were sheltering in place inside the stadium were safe, as they were redeployed before the damage occured. Videos of the roof coming off have been circulating on social media.
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
One person who posted a video on Twitter wrote: “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 damage to Tropicana Field is only part of the damage that has occurred in the area. We are only now beginning to learn the seriousness of what took place.