It was supposed to be a safe haven. A refuge for first responders and cleanup crews weary after long days rescuing storm victims or clearing wreckage left by Hurricane Milton.
But Milton showed no mercy during its deadly rampage across Florida, shredding the roof of Tropicana Field – a Major League Baseball stadium turned makeshift shelter for storm personnel.
Milton made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane Wednesday, unleashed a spate of tornadoes and killed at least four people – a death toll that’s expected to rise.
Aerial footage of the disfigured stadium showed rows of empty cots surrounding the baseball diamond where the Tampa Bay Rays play.
“This is one of the most surreal things ever,” storm chaser Jonathan Petramala told CNN after he arrived at the stadium in downtown St. Petersburg.
“I was able to actually get my hands on a piece of that roof, to kind of feel the material, and it feels just (like) thick vinyl,” Petramala said. “And you could see it just had no chance against those winds of Hurricane Milton.”
Earlier this week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tropicana Field would be used as a 10,000-person base camp for debris cleanup operations and first responders.
“Tropicana Field is a routine staging area for these things,” DeSantis said Thursday.
The stadium’s roof is built to withstand winds of up to 115 mph, according to the Rays’ media guide.
But as Milton’s strength intensified – eventually making landfall whipping 120-mph winds – the first responders were relocated, DeSantis said Thursday.
“They were moved before the storm,” the governor said. “There were no state assets that were in Tropicana Field.”
No injuries were reported after the roof was destroyed, and officials urged residents to avoid downtown St. Petersburg, a spokesperson for the city said.
CNN has reached out to the Rays, who are currently in their offseason, and MLB for comment.
CNN’s Kathleen Magramo, Colin Jeffery and Jacob Lev contributed to this report.