Drone footage shows Hurricane Milton destroyed the roof of Tropicana Field

Local residents and first responders are just beginning to assess the total damage caused by Hurricane Milton, but an early example of the historic storm’s intensity is already clearly visible. In the early hours of October 10, extreme weather documentary filmmaker Brandon Clement uploaded nine minutes of ground and drone footage showing the devastating effects of sustained 100 mph winds on St. Petersburg’s Tropicana Field, home of MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays, showed.

As a local news channel WFLA As explained Thursday, the baseball team’s home field was covered in fabric paneling that served as roofing, an estimated two-thirds of which is now shredded or completely gone. It is currently unclear whether Tropicana Field has sustained any serious internal damage, but Clement’s aerial photographs show significant amounts of debris strewn across the field, stands and surrounding areas, including what appears to be hundreds of camp beds. City officials previously planned to use Rays Stadium as a hub for coordinating emergency responders’ efforts, but it is unclear how the current state of the facility will affect response logistics in the coming days.

Additional footage from Clement shows flash floods flowing past stranded cars in Tampa, storm surges entering businesses and homes, and even a propeller plane turning completely upside down at an airport in Venice. An estimated 3.3 million Floridians were reportedly without power Thursday morning as President Biden announced the deployment of thousands of federal workers to the state, including 1,000 Coast Guard members.

If you would like to donate to recovery efforts for both Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene, here are a few options:

• Immediate help: Helps communities collect and distribute medical supplies

• Save the children: Distributes hygiene and other emergency supplies for babies to families in need