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Tampa's Tropicana Field roof ripped off by winds during Hurricane Milton

The hurricane made landfall as a Category 3 storm at about 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday near Siesta Key, Florida.
Tropicana Field roof
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Hurricane Milton's winds ripped off the roof of Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg Wednesday evening.

The stadium is home to the Tampa Bay Rays MLB team.

The roof of the Tropicana Field is damaged the morning after Hurricane Milton hit Florida
The roof of the Tropicana Field is damaged the morning after Hurricane Milton hit the region, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Tropicana Field was a staging area for hundreds of Florida National Guardsmen and electrical workers before the storm.

A video from inside the stadium posted to social media showed the damage.

The baseball field was lined with cots inside the stadium earlier this week in preparation for the hurricane.

According to the Florida National Guard, the guardsmen inside Tropicana Field were moved to Ocala, Florida, on Wednesday, before Hurricane Milton made landfall.

An official with the local St. Pete Fire Rescue said they have been in contact with the people inside, and they are all safe.

A Tampa Bay Rays spokesperson told ABC News, "No first responders were being staged at Tropicana Field and the essential personnel that were there are all accounted for and safe. Teams will be assessing the situation more when it is safe to do so."

Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday near Siesta Key, Florida.

This story was originally published by Amanda Boettcher at Scripps News Tampa.