It will take time to gauge the cost of repairing Tropicana Field’s torn-apart roof. The Tampa Bay Rays’ stadium dome was ripped to shreds during Hurricane Milton. Both the “inner and outer” roof were damaged and blew south of the stadium, according to St. Petersburg development administrator James Corbett. The roof is made of translucent, Teflon-coated fiberglass and supported by cables.
Community Support and Safety Measures
“Our priority is supporting our community and our staff,” the Rays said in a statement on Thursday afternoon. “We are fortunate and grateful 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.”
Fourteen security employees were at Tropicana Field at the time, and none were injured. Emergency medical services personnel, debris collectors, and other first responders were using the stadium and its parking lots as a staging area prior to the storm, but they all left before Wednesday evening. According to a spokesperson for Gov. Ron DeSantis, they were relocated to Jacksonville. There were never any plans to use the stadium as a shelter.
Wind Resistance and Future Plans
Tropicana Field’s roof was designed to withstand 115 miles per hour winds. The highest recorded gust in St. Pete was 101 miles per hour, according to the city. The Rays plan to move to a new ballpark in the parking lot directly east of Tropicana Field in time for the 2028 regular season. A blog site stated, “it’s difficult to imagine spending a single more dollar on repairing the significant damage” and speculated on other stadium locations the team could use in the meantime. However, there are no indications that the team would actually move.
Insurance and Recovery Efforts
The team has insurance on its stadium. “It’s a little bit complicated how the fund works for Tropicana Field, but there is insurance on the property,” city administrator Rob Gerdes said. “So that’s the first thing we’d be looking at is the property insurance to help make repairs.”
The Rays’ new stadium is expected to withstand Category 4-strength winds. When asked if the city and the team will instead look at making it resistant to Category 5 hurricanes, Gerdes said everyone is focused on the first day of recovery following Milton.
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