ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – A year after Hurricane Milton hit the Tampa Bay area, the image that still stands out from the devastating storm is the shredded roof of Tropicana Field.
Tampa Bay 28's Erik Waxler was just a block away that evening, watching from a rooftop balcony and reporting live as the destruction unfolded.
Check out Erik Waxler's full report
Tropicana Field's roof was replaced a year after damage from Hurricane Milton
“I had just gotten a tip that something was wrong, so we came out to the fifth floor balcony of the Tru by Hilton Hotel,” Waxler recalled. “With heavy rain and wind, we were able to see the destruction at Tropicana Field for the first time.”
During this live broadcast, meteorologist Denis Phillips Waxler pitched in St. Petersburg.
“So now let’s go to Erik Waxler,” Phillips said. “And he's in St. Pete and last I checked we had 85 mph wind gusts and now they're even higher. Erik?”
“Denis, we have something incredible to show you,” Waxler replied. “The roof. A big part of it is torn off.”
Waxler had previously taken photos from the same vantage point that showed dark clouds forming over the stadium. He even took a selfie at 4:23 p.m., one of the last photos of the ballpark before the roof was destroyed. Hours later, the Tropicana Field dome was in ruins.
“The more the wind gets inside, the more you wonder if we're going to see other parts of it blow away,” Waxler reported live as the wind picked up.
At this point it was unclear how extensive the damage was. “I've looked closely at the base of the stadium and I can't see any structural damage as we're feeling these gusts,” Waxler said.
In the end there was total damage to the roof. The interior of the stadium also suffered millions of dollars in water and wind damage.
The morning after the storm, Waxler walked the area around the ballpark and found pieces of the roof scattered throughout the surrounding neighborhoods. Some people collected fragments as souvenirs.
“What are you going to do with the piece?” he asked a resident.
“Hang it in my room,” the person replied.
The storm, which brought sustained winds of more than 100 miles per hour and caused widespread destruction across Pinellas County, also toppled a crane that crashed into a downtown office building.
Residents who live near the stadium still remember that night vividly.
“A year ago this evening. What do you remember?” Waxler asked resident Leydin Chavez.
“I actually came outside and saw the roof was completely gone,” she said. “It was so, so sad. So sad.”
Greg Thompson, who weathered the storm in Lutz, said he was shocked by what he saw the next morning. “I was up in Lutz following what was going on and woke up the next morning in shock to see the roof was gone,” he said.
Alexander Arenburg, who lives and works near Tropicana Field, remembered the chaos when the roof fell off.
“What happened was it was blowing everywhere,” he said. “The whole roof. It was flapping and making noise and everyone was freaking out.”
Asked if it was scary, Chavez said, “It was definitely scary. I mean, experiencing this for the first time – a hurricane like this. It's such a big part of the community. It was really heartbreaking to see.”
Now, a year later, work continues on Tropicana Field's new roof. Teams are continually installing new panels, with completion expected in December. The $60 million repair project is on track to be completed in time for the Tampa Bay Rays' 2026 season.
Erik Waxler has called Pasco County home for more than 15 years. He is committed to helping his neighbors solve problems and recognizing those who help others. Share your ideas and tips with Erik below.
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