Hurricane Milton's impending arrival causes Tropicana Field to transforms into base camp for Florida workers

Ahead of Hurricane Milton's landfall, staff at The Florida Aquarium helped relocate nine penguins to higher ground as part of the zoo's "comprehensive hurricane preparedness plan, showing that the safety of the animals remains a "top priority."

Tropicana Field has gotten used to hosting playoff games since Kevin Cash took over as manager of the Tampa Bay Rays, but over the next few days, the stadium will be used as a base camp to support the Florida Department of Emergency Management ahead of Hurricane Milton.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis directed Florida crews that were dispatched to North Carolina to help the state dig out of Hurricane Helene’s aftermath to return to Florida to prepare for Milton’s arrival, which is churning in the Gulf of Mexico as a dangerous Category 5 storm.

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Tropicana Field opens a staging site for workers and operations before the arrival of Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Oct. 7, 2024. (REUTERS/Octavio Jones. )

Florida emergency officials launched evacuation orders for most of the state’s western coast in preparation for Milton. Many of those same regions were still trying to dig out from Helene.

"Time is running out," DeSantis said Tuesday, via USA Today. "There's no guarantee what the weather's going to be like starting Wednesday morning ... You may have a window where it may be safe, but you may not. So use today as your day to finalize and execute the plan that is going to protect you and your family."

Milton is expected to bring a deadly storm surge, destructive winds and flooding rain, according to Fox Weather. Forecasters warned of a possible 10- to 15-foot storm surge in Tampa Bay. It is the highest surge ever predicted