The devastation Hurricane Milton caused when it made landfall in Siesta Key on Oct. 9 became all too apparent when photos began to surface the next day that showed the Teflon-coated fiberglass roof of Tropicana Field destroyed.
The eerie sight of the Trop instantly turned into an open-air stadium offered just a small indication of the damage Milton brought — and the massive undertaking that would need to take place in order to make it baseball-ready again ... if that's even possible.
A report indicated it would cost more than $55 million to repair the damage and have the stadium ready for play in time for the 2026 season. In the meantime, the Rays announced they would play the 2025 season at Steinbrenner Field, the spring training home of the New York Yankees.
All this while the Rays' long-term future has been called into question as the St. Petersburg City Council and Pinellas County Commission ponder how — and whether — to fund a new $1.3 billion stadium as part of the Historic Gas Plant District redevelopment.
On Nov. 14, the Rays released new photos taken by team photographers Will Vragovic and Warren Hypes on Oct. 16 — a week after Milton made landfall — and the days that followed that show the extent of damage to Tropicana Field.
New views of the roof
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Views of the damage from Hurricane Milton at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on Oct. 22, 2024.
Will Vragovic / Will Vragovic
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Views of the damage from Hurricane Milton at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on Oct. 22, 2024.
Will Vragovic / Will Vragovic
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Views of Tropicana Field after being severely damaged by Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg on Oct. 16, 2024.
Warren Hypes / Tampa Bay Rays
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Views of the damage from Hurricane Milton at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on Oct. 22, 2024.
Will Vragovic / Tampa Bay Rays
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Interior views of Tropicana Field after being severely damaged by Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg on Oct. 16, 2024.
Will Vragovic / Tampa Bay Rays
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Views of the damage from Hurricane Milton at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on Oct. 22, 2024.
Will Vragovic / Tampa Bay Rays
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iews of Tropicana Field after being severely damaged by Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg on Oct. 16, 2024.
Will Vragovic / Tampa Bay Rays
Debris litters the stands
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Interior views of Tropicana Field after being severely damaged by Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg on Oct. 16, 2024.
Will Vragovic / Tampa Bay Rays
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Views of Tropicana Field after being severely damaged by Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg on Oct. 16, 2024.
Warren Hypes / Tampa Bay Rays
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Views of Tropicana Field after being severely damaged by Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg on Oct. 16, 2024.
Warren Hypes / Warren Hypes
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Views of Tropicana Field after being severely damaged by Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg on Oct. 16, 2024.
Warren Hypes / Tampa Bay Rays
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Views of Tropicana Field after being severely damaged by Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg on Oct. 16, 2024.
Warren Hypes / Tampa Bay Rays
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Interior views of Tropicana Field after being severely damaged by Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg on Oct. 16, 2024.
Will Vragovic / Tampa Bay Rays
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Interior views of Tropicana Field after being severely damaged by Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg on Oct. 16, 2024.
Will Vragovic / Tampa Bay Rays
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Interior views of Tropicana Field after being severely damaged by Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg on Oct. 16, 2024.
Tampa Bay Rays / Will Vragovic
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Views of the damage from Hurricane Milton at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on Oct. 22, 2024.
Will Vragovic / Tampa Bay Rays
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October 22 Views of the damage from Hurricane Milton at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on October 22, 2024.
Will Vragovic / Tampa Bay Rays
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Interior views of Tropicana Field after being severely damaged by Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg on Oct. 16, 2024.
Will Vragovic / Tampa Bay Rays
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Interior views of Tropicana Field after being severely damaged by Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg on Oct. 16, 2024.
Will Vragovic / Tampa Bay Rays
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Interior views of Tropicana Field after being severely damaged by Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg on Oct. 16, 2024.
Will Vragovic / Tampa Bay Rays
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Views of the damage from Hurricane Milton at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on Oct. 22, 2024.
Will Vragovic / Tampa Bay Rays
Water damage, and the touch tank
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Views of the damage from Hurricane Milton at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, with the Rays touch tank in the foreground, on Oct. 22, 2024.
Will Vragovic / Will Vragovic
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Interior views of Tropicana Field after being severely damaged by Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg on Oct. 16, 2024.
Will Vragovic / Will Vragovic
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Views of the damage from Hurricane Milton at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on Oct. 22, 2024.
Will Vragovic / Tampa Bay Rays
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Views of the damage from Hurricane Milton at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on Oct. 22, 2024.
Will Vragovic / Tampa Bay Rays
The offices and press box weren't spared
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Views of Tropicana Field after being severely damaged by Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg on Oct. 16, 2024.
Warren Hypes / Tampa Bay Rays
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Interior views of Tropicana Field after being severely damaged by Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg on Oct. 16, 2024.
Will Vragovic / Tampa Bay Rays
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Interior views of Tropicana Field after being severely damaged by Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg on Oct. 16, 2024.
Will Vragovic / Tampa Bay Rays
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Views of the damage from Hurricane Milton at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on Oct. 22, 2024.
Will Vragovic / Tampa Bay Rays
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Views of the damage from Hurricane Milton at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on Oct. 22, 2024.
Will Vragovic / Tampa Bay Rays
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Views of the damage from Hurricane Milton at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on Oct. 22, 2024.
Will Vragovic / Tampa Bay Rays
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Views of the damage from Hurricane Milton at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on Oct. 22, 2024.
Will Vragovic / Tampa Bay Rays
