Plenty of area natives brace for hurricane in Florida

There is no shortage of regional natives who at some point made the move to Florida. I know two...most know more.

I graduated high school with Paul Shields. I introduce him and his lovely bride at their wedding. For nearly 30 years, Paul has practiced medicine in Naples, Florida. My only hope is that he and his family are safe as 'Irma' rolls along.
I also had the great fortune of doing an Olean radio morning show on the area's

 first FM newsradio station. Casey Hill (air
name) and her husband Phil moved to Winter Haven, FL. On Saturday, they reluctantly headed to a shelter. I'm glad they did.
To all the people in the 'Irma zone,' stay safe.
For the past 24 hours, I've been listening to WFLA newsradio in Tampa. They've done an amazing job. Radio still works. When power goes out, the internet and cable are silent, people (of a certain age) still turn to battery-operated radios. This stations, and others, are working around the clock to keep people informed. Radio matters. Also, I listened this morning for a request for amateur radio operators. They are relevant. They are needed. They provide necessary information.
My best to all in the Southeast region.