Teams urge fans to say safe as Milton upends the week in Florida sports
The damaged roof of Tropicana Field, home to the Tampa Bay Rays, has become one of the most vivid symbols of Hurricane Milton’s destructive impact in Florida. While recovery efforts continue on the ground, the hurricane has also significantly disrupted the state’s busy sports calendar, affecting over 10 professional teams and top collegiate programs.
Here are some notable developments:
The Tampa Bay Lightning have postponed their Saturday home game due to ongoing recovery efforts. The team shared the announcement on X, expressing their thoughts for those affected by the storm.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers evacuated to New Orleans early Tuesday morning, where they will face the Saints on Sunday. Retired quarterback Tom Brady, who finished his career with the Buccaneers, announced a $100,000 donation to hurricane relief efforts on X.
The Orlando Magic canceled their NBA preseason game against the New Orleans Pelicans, scheduled for Friday. The team emphasized that “the safety of our community and fans is our top priority” in a statement on X.
The University of Central Florida football team announced on X that they still plan to host a game against Cincinnati on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET, though the situation remains under evaluation as officials assess the storm’s impact. “Stay safe, Knight Nation,” the UCF Knights posted. “Stay safe, Florida.”
Millions of gallons of gas is heading to South Florida amid fuel shortage
Over the next 48 hours, at least seven large tanker vessels are en route to South Florida, bringing tens of millions of gallons of gasoline and diesel, according to oil analyst Andy Lipow. Each vessel is carrying over 10 million gallons of fuel, with most of it expected to be gasoline and some diesel, noted Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates.
These deliveries could help Florida officials resupply gas stations that have run out of fuel following a surge in demand caused by Hurricane Milton.
Using vessel tracking data, Lipow explained that the ships are transporting fuel from Gulf Coast refineries to the Port of Tampa and Port Everglades, which serves the Miami area. They are expected to arrive between Thursday night and Saturday morning.
The US Coast Guard announced that Port Everglades has resumed operations and is now fully functional, according to a post on the port’s X feed.
Local authorities reported that the Port of Tampa, a crucial energy hub for the region, did not experience the severe flooding damage initially feared.
