Tropicana Field becomes base camp as Milton approaches Tampa, Florida

The video shows the field at the Tampa Bay Rays' home stadium filled with rows of empty green cots as preparations are made for the powerful storm that will cause further destruction in a region still recovering from Helene. While Milton weakened slightly Tuesday, the Category 4 storm remained extremely strong and could double in size before hitting west-central Florida late Wednesday.

Florida officials have urged Milton residents to evacuate the area or otherwise make plans to protect themselves from the life-threatening storm, which is expected to bring damaging winds and heavy rainfall.

“Time is running out,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a briefing Tuesday. “There is no guarantee what the weather will be as of Wednesday morning… You may have a window where it is safe, but you may not. So take advantage of today to finalize and execute the plan to protect you and your family.

“Time is running out”: Florida is preparing for the monster Hurricane Milton. Live updates

The video shows the conversion of Tropicana Field into a base camp

St. Petersburg, Florida, fills stadium with cots ahead of Hurricane Milton

The home of the Tampa Bay Rays is now set up as a 10,000-person “base camp” for operations and first responders as the area prepares for Milton.

As the storm barrels toward Florida, DeSantis announced Monday that Tropicana Field would be designated by the Florida Division of Emergency Management as a base camp for 10,000 people for debris removal operations and first responders.

The Dome Stadium has been the home of the Tampa Bay Rays since the team's inaugural season in 1998, although there are plans to replace it by 2028. It is among the smallest MLB stadiums in terms of seating capacity, but Tropicana Field features a sloping roof, designed to be 100 m² (2,000 sq ft), partially angled to better protect it from hurricanes.

Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall on Wednesday

Milton rapidly intensified Monday, with sustained winds of 180 mph before weakening slightly early Tuesday.

However, wind speeds were still 150 miles per hour, making the hurricane a severe Category 4 storm. Fluctuations in the storm's strength are expected as it approaches the coast, John Cangialosi, a specialist with the National Hurricane Center, warned in an update Tuesday.

Although Milton could become a Category 3 hurricane before landfall, “it has the potential to become one of the most destructive hurricanes ever for west-central Florida,” Cangialosi warned.

As of Tuesday morning, Milton was about 520 miles southwest of Tampa and rolling east-northeast at a speed of 12 mph.

Central to northern parts of the Florida Peninsula can expect rainfall amounts between 5 and 18 inches through Thursday, the hurricane center said.

Contributors: John Bacon, Trevor Hughes, Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and breaking news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]