Gusts of more than 100 mph from Hurricane Milton ripped the fabric roof off Tropicana Field and caused the collapse of a crane at a high-rise construction site Wednesday night in downtown St. Petersburg.
The stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, had been turned into as a base camp for thousands of emergency responders as the state braced for Milton. The field surface was covered with rows of cots.
The crane was blocks away at a construction site for the 46-story 400 Central condo, one of four cranes left standing in the city prior to Milton.
Officials said they had concerns before the storm but had no options because lowering such cranes is typically scheduled weeks in advanced.
As it collapsed, the crane damaged an eight-story office building across First Avenue South, where the Tampa Bay Times is a tenant. The result was a "gaping hole," according to the Times.
The building was closed and no one from the Times’ newsroom was working inside. A reporter with the Times tweeted that the crane was blocking the road, and smoke was billowing from the unfinished skyscraper several stories up.
The high-rise, which was topped out in September, is scheduled for completion this summer.
The city reported that there were no injuries and that first responders will conduct damage assessments when conditions allow.
Milton lashed the Tampa Bay area with Category 3 sustained winds of 120 mph before making landfall near Siesta Key, about 40 miles to the south.
The X account of Dave Moore, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' radio analyst, and several other accounts, posted video showing the hurricane-force winds ripping apart the Trop's Teflon-coated fiberglass roof.
"The view from our window as we ride out the storm," Moore wrote. "The roof of Tropicana Field is destroyed by the winds of #HurricaneMilton. Praying for Tampa Bay and all areas affected. Stay safe, everyone."
It was not immediately clear if there was damage inside the stadium. Television images showed the tattered pieces of roof, giving a clear line of sight to the lights and catwalks inside.
The stadium, which opened in 1990 at a cost $138 million, is due to be replaced in time for the 2028 season with a $1.3 billion covered ballpark.
Residents were urged to avoid both areas until further notice.
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
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