The roof at Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays, sustained major damage because of high winds associated with Hurricane Milton, which made landfall Wednesday along Florida’s Gulf Coast as a Category 3 storm.
Pictures and video on social media showed most of the fabric covering the domed roof torn off.
The ballpark in St. Petersburg was designated as a staging site for first responders and state and local emergency management services aiding with debris removal. The facility was set up to host 10,000 people, with cots set up on the playing surface.
Capt. Garth Swingle of St. Petersburg Fire Rescue told ABC News they have contact with the people inside and they are safe.
The roof is made from ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), a polymer that’s stronger than glass but significantly lighter. The metal frame appeared to be unscathed.
Concerns over the storm and its effects on Florida forced the cancellation of Friday’s preseason game in Orlando between the Magic and the New Orleans Pelicans, the NBA said. Orlando played at San Antonio on Wednesday night and was scheduled to return to central Florida on Thursday. A team spokesperson said the Magic now will stay an extra day in San Antonio before departing Friday.
The NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars modified their London travel plans Thursday because of the storm, pushing back their departure from Jacksonville to later in the evening. The team also is moving practice back by several hours Thursday.
Countless college and high school events in Florida also have been canceled or postponed because of the storm, which forecasters say is likely to bring drenching rain across a wide swath of the state.
The Trop has been the Rays’ home since their inaugural season in the majors in 1998. The team’s current lease there ends in 2027.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.