Hurricane Milton: NFL insider shares update on Tampa Bay Buccaneers facility, Raymond James Stadium

In the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, crews are still surveying various parts of the state of Florida to get a feel for the overall level of damage. Raymond James Stadium in Tampa was among the major sites that was of interest on Thursday morning.

According to a report from the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, site surveys are still being conducted but the stadium itself and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers training facility “seem to have sustained only cosmetic damage.”

That’s encouraging news after other facilities were hit much, much harder.

Tropicana Field, for example, suffered devastating roof damage from Hurricane Milton. The fabric covering was shredded, exposing the field below to the elements.

Officials had hoped to use the Trop as a staging ground for linemen and first responders, with beds set up across the field.

The Tropicana Field roof was ripped apart by Hurricane Milton last night 🙏

The Tampa Bay Rays' stadium was set to house thousands of National Guard and first responders after the storm.https://t.co/uMCSiQKTYXpic.twitter.com/Q8I1reGRgj

— 5 GOATs (@5GOATs_) October 10, 2024

Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm Wednesday night, according to the AP, after getting as strong as Category 5 over the Gulf of Mexico. A Category 3 Hurricane has wind speeds between 111 and 129 miles per hour, but surge levels could go as high as 8-12 feet, according to The Weather Channel.

Evacuations were underway throughout the week as residents made preparations for the major storm to hit Florida’s west coast and make its way across the state. It was also making an impact on the sports world as teams in Florida drew up contingency plans.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were forced to evacuate ahead of this week’s game against the New Orleans Saints and left Tuesday after changing travel plans. They relocated all team operations to New Orleans as Hurricane Milton made its way toward Tampa and Florida’s west coast.

“In advance of Hurricane Milton’s expected landfall, the Buccaneers will depart Tampa on Tuesday morning,” Tampa Bay Buccaneers Communications posted on Twitter. “The team will relocate operations to the New Orleans area for the remainder of the week leading up to Sunday’s game at the Saints. Media availabilities will be conducted virtually beginning on Wednesday.”

On3’s Nick Schultz also contributed to this report.