Wild Video Shows Hurricane Milton Destroying Tropicana Field’s Roof

Unbelievable drone footage posted to X (formerly Twitter) by Tampa Rays correspondent Ryan Bass shows the roof of Tropicana Field completely torn away after Hurricane Milton’s landfall .

The roof of Tropicana Field was designed to withstand wind speeds of up to 115 MPH, but forecasts on Wednesday night clocked winds coming at only 101 MPH. In addition to the video shared by Bass, multiple clips of the wind ripping apart the famed stadium’s roof popped up online throughout the evening.

Tampa resident Bill Johnson, 57, was staying at a relative’s house with a view of the stadium and watched as the storm procedurally ripped away pieces of thin fiberglass until there was nothing left. Johnson told The New York Times that he watched the roof disappear for over 30 minutes, first notice small tears in the canvas before entire swatches were torn asunder.

“It just makes me sad seeing the stadium of the team I love ruined,” Johnson said.

The tragic turn of events comes just days after Governor Ron Desantis announced that Tropicana Field would be used as a 10,000-person basecamp “to support ongoing debris operations and post-landfall responders.” Jeremy Redfern, a Desantis spokesperson, announced Thursday morning that the headquarters had been moved to Jacksonville.

The Tampa Rays informed fans through a social media post on Sunday that “Tropicana Field is NOT being used as a shelter” and advised residents to follow state evacuation guidelines .