ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Hurricane Milton ripped part of the roof off of Tropicana Field late Wednesday evening as Hurricane Milton moved through the state.
Milton officially made landfall near Siesta Key as a Category 3 hurricane around 8:30 p.m., according to the National Hurricane Center.
St. Petersburg Fire Rescue officials said that they received two critical reports of incidents in the downtown area – a crane collapse at the 400 Central building construction site and the roof damage at Tropicana Field.
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The roof of the domed stadium, which is home to the Tampa Bay Rays, can be seen shredded in videos posted to social media.
According to the Associated Press, the stadium was not being used as a shelter, but the Tampa Bay Times reported that it was being used as “a staging site for workers” who were brought to the area to deal with the storm’s aftermath.
Officials said no injuries have been reported in either incident and that the public is urged to continue to shelter in place and avoid both areas.
“Please stay away from both locations to ensure public safety and avoid interference with emergency operations,” SPFR said in part.