Hurricane Milton caused severe damage to the Tampa Bay Rays baseball stadium and poses major challenges for sports teams in Florida. At Tropicana Field, the roof made of fiberglass was particularly affected, as it was literally torn to pieces by the strong winds and the debris was spread over a large area. DThe stadium was used as a staging area for emergency responders and state and local emergency response services due to the hurricane. According to initial findings, no one was injured.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers football professionals traveled to New Orleans at the beginning of the week to prepare for the game against the Saints on Sunday. They were evacuated with their families. “We're not even just playing for football now. We're trying to play for something bigger.”said receiver Mike Evans, quarterback Baker Mayfield sent “a lot of prayers” to the area. The Jacksonville Jaguars, who are scheduled to play the Chicago Bears at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, had to postpone their flight to London because of the storm. The Miami Dolphins have a day off.
The NBA preseason game between the basketball teams Orlando Magic and New Orleans Pelicans scheduled for Friday has been canceledalso the duel between the Miami Heat and the Atlanta Hawks. It has been postponed until next week. The ice hockey teams from the region will be playing away in the NHL in the next few days – a fortunate coincidence in the schedule.
According to the Rays, Tropicana Field was built to withstand winds of up to 115 mph. The roof is supported by numerous cables that are connected to each other by struts. The team calls it the “world's largest cable-supported dome roof.” The stadium opened in 1990 and originally cost $138 million. It is scheduled to be replaced by a $1.3 billion baseball stadium for the 2028 season.
