Tropicana Field Roof Ripped Apart By Hurricane Milton

Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida on Wednesday ... and Tropicana Field -- home of the Tampa Bay Rays -- felt its wrath as the storm tore the stadium roof to shreds.

Folks in St. Petersburg -- who reportedly experienced gusts up to 101 MPH -- captured the destruction late Wednesday night when the Category 3 storm arrived ... and footage and pictures showed pieces of the stadium roof swaying in the wind.

The facility was actually set up to be used as a shelter for those affected by Milton ... as 10,000 beds were placed on the field. It was also prepped to assist first responders and debris removal crews.

Those already in the stadium were safe after the wreck, according to Fire & Rescue Captain Garth Swingle ... who said the people inside Tropicana Field were okay.

The multi-purpose facility opened in 1990 ... and has hosted the MLB team and college football games, including the St. Petersburg Bowl.

It's a non-retractable dome, making it the only year-round indoor venue in MLB ... and the Tampa Bay Rays said they will "be assessing the situation".

FYI, the city of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County approved to replace Tropicana Field with a new stadium in July ... and construction will begin in early 2025.

Hurricane Milton has left several dead and millions without power as it unleashed a barrage of tornados, strong winds exceeding 100 mph, and heavy rainfall along Florida's Gulf Coast.

However, Governor Ron DeSantis said on Thursday "the storm was significant, but thankfully this was not the worst-case scenario."