Hurricane Milton shreds Tropicana Field's roof and topples a crane in St. Petersburg

Gusts of more than100 mph from Hurricane Milton ripped the fabric roof off Tropicana Field and caused the collapse of a crane at a high-rise construction site Wednesday night in downtown St. Petersburg.

The stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, had been turned into as a base camp for thousands of emergency responders as the state braced for Milton. The field surface was covered with rows of cots.

Team officials said only a handful of “essential personnel” were inside Tropicana Field when the storm hit.

The Rays said no official determination about damage inside the facility would be made until officials say conditions are safe to venture into the area. There also was no immediate word on how long the roof replacement may take, or if the team will make alternate arrangements for the 2025 season.

City of St. Petersburg

The team previously said that Tropicana Field features the world’s largest cable-supported domed roof, with the panels made of “translucent, Teflon-coated fiberglass” supported by 180 miles of cables connected by struts.

The roof was designed to withstand wind of up to 115 mph, according to the Rays. The stadium opened in 1990 at an initial cost $138 million and is due to be replaced in time for the 2028 season with a $1.3 billion ballpark.

The crane was blocks away at a construction site for the 46-story 400 Central condo, one of four cranes left standing in the city prior to Milton.

Officials said they had concerns before the storm but had no options because lowering such cranes is typically scheduled weeks in advanced.

As it collapsed, the crane damaged an eight-story office building across First Avenue South, where the Tampa Bay Times is a tenant. The result was a "gaping hole," according to the Times.

The twisted metal gouged a hole where part of it came to rest in the brick and concrete on one corner of the building. Wires dangled down and bits of office items were strewn about. Another part of the crane blocked the street below.

No one was working in the newspaper office at the time of the collapse. City officials blocked off several blocks until they can completely assess the damage and begin working to remove the toppled and twisted crane.

Developer Red Apple Group told the newspaper that at least one crane cab in the upper section of the mast fell and they were working with city officials to assess the situation.

"We are grateful that no one was injured in the area, and that the only damage was to bricks and not to people,” said John Catsimatidis Sr., founder of Red Apple Real Estate.

Officials with the development team and the City of St. Petersburg are inspecting the area to determine next steps with the debris on the ground.

“The 400 Central building is in good condition, but we are conducting further inspections,” Catsimatidis said. “We expect work on the building to recommence as soon as possible.”

The building was closed and no one from the Times’ newsroom was working inside. A reporter with the Times tweeted that the crane was blocking the road, and smoke was billowing from the unfinished skyscraper several stories up.

It will probably require at least one more crane to dismantle the twisted mess, just like construction crews usually need another crane to start building a crane.

The skyscraper was designed to top out at 515 feet (157 meters). It will have 301 condos at a minimum price of $1 million, along with retail and office space, the Times reported. It's scheduled for completion this summer.

The city reported that there were no injuries in either incident.

Milton lashed the Tampa Bay area with Category 3 sustained winds of 120 mph before making landfall near Siesta Key, about 40 miles to the south.

The X account of Dave Moore, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' radio analyst, and several other accounts, posted video showing the hurricane-force winds ripping apart the Trop's roof.

"The view from our window as we ride out the storm," Moore wrote. "The roof of Tropicana Field is destroyed by the winds of #HurricaneMilton. Praying for Tampa Bay and all areas affected. Stay safe, everyone."

Residents were urged to avoid both areas until further notice.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.