Twins' complex in Fort Myers comes through hurricane relatively unscathed according to team president

“Lot of wind damage, very limited water damage," according to Dave St. Peter
Hurricane Ian
In this aerial view, vehicles make their way through a flooded area after Hurricane Ian passed through on September 29, 2022 in Fort Myers, Florida which is the spring training home of the Minnesota Twins and the site of one of their minor league clubs. Photo credit (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

The long road of cleanup and damage assessment is getting started in Florida today after Hurricane Ian ripped across the state on Thursday.

One of the hardest hit areas was Fort Myers, where the Minnesota Twins hold spring training and operate a minor league team out of Hammond Stadium.

Twins President Dave St. Peter talked about it on Bally Sports North during Friday's game at Target Field.

“Our complex came through it, I'd say OK,” St. Peter said. “Lot of wind damage, very limited water damage. And as you know, that complex in Fort Myers is being used now to stage first responders, so I'm proud of that. I think it's a good thing that the county and the Twins relationship is set up in a way that we can help support that community in its time of need.”

St. Peter says all players and employees were evacuated from the complex earlier this week.

As St. Peter eluded to, the Minnesota Twins have opened the doors to Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers to house first responders as Hurricane Ian made landfall.

"Right now, our focus is just on making sure that everyone is safe in the area," Matt Hoy, Twins senior vice president of operations, shared with WCCO Radio on Thursday.

"Whether it's fire trucks or electric company trucks, those are all staged there so they can deploy anywhere really on that western side of I-75 where the storm surge is expected to be the worst," Hoy explained.

Besides being a vacation destination for Twins fans each spring, Fort Myers hosts a large number of retirees and snowbirds from Minnesota.

WCCO Chief Meteorologist Paul Douglas says the damage from a storm this large is going to take a long time to recover from.

“It's going to take months, I think, to get these communities back up,” Douglas told the WCCO Morning News with Vineeta Sawkar. “Maybe a few years to get things back to some semblance of normal. If Hurricane Michael, which hit the panhandle up around Panama City, was any guide, there are still homes up there that have not been replaced or repaired.”

Featured Image Photo Credit: (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)