Milton emergency base camp relocated before storm tore through Tropicana Field roof

Before the storm hit, the home of MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays was set up as a base camp for 10,000 emergency workers to aid in debris cleanup and response efforts

October 10, 2024 10:36 AM

By Sarah Roebuck

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Ahead of Hurricane Milton’s arrival, Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, had been transformed into a base camp for thousands of emergency responders.

But as Hurricane Milton made landfall late Wednesday night as a powerful Category 3 storm, fierce winds ripped through the roof of Tropicana Field, home of Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays, video shows.

Tropicana Field was set up for linemen & first responders & tonight roof was ripped off by Hurricane Milton pic.twitter.com/BZCvOKQBVA
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) October 10, 2024

In preparation for the storm, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Tropicana Field was being turned into a base camp for 10,000 emergency workers to assist with debris cleanup and post-hurricane response efforts. On Thursday morning, his spokesperson, Jeremy Redfern, shared that the staging area had been moved to Jacksonville.

Tropicana Field’s roof was designed to endure winds up to 115 miles per hour, according to the New York Times. By 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday, forecasters with the National Weather Service reported wind speeds in St. Petersburg had reached 101 miles per hour.