Hurricane Milton: Tampa Bay Rays issue statement after Tropicana Field sustains heavy damage

Hurricane Milton swept through central Florida on Wednesday evening and cut a path across the state overnight, leaving damage from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg to Port Saint Lucie on the state’s opposite coast.

On Wednesday evening, reports emerged that the roof to Tropicana Field had been shredded, exposing the inside to the elements.

The home of the Tampa Bay Rays had been staged to host first responders and linemen in the area, folks who were set to assist with the recovery efforts immediately following the storm. Unfortunately, the beds that were lined up inside the field were soaked and alternate plans had to be made.

On Thursday morning, the Tampa Bay Rays issued a public statement about the damage from Hurricane Milton and the state of affairs in the community.

“During the past couple weeks, our beloved city, region and state have been impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. We are devastated by the damage incurred by so many,” the statement read.

“Our priority is supporting our community and our staff. We are fortunate and grateful that no one was hurt by the damage to our ballpark last night. Over the coming days and weeks, we expect to be able to assess the true condition of Tropicana Field. In the meantime, we are working with law enforcement to secure the building.

“We ask for your patience at this time, and we encourage those who can to donate to organizations in our community that are assisting those directly impacted by these storms.”

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.

Among the changes were the Tampa Bay Buccaneers departing early for a game against the New Orleans Saints this weekend.

On3’s Nick Schultz also contributed to this report.