Cleveland man in Florida, working to keep radio stations running

CLEVELAND, OH - As much of Florida evacuates, a Clevelander is heading right into the hurricane's path. 

Andy Mika is a broadcast engineer at WTAM and iHeartRadio in Cleveland. But he's now in Orlando, waiting. His mission: when radio stations go off the air during the hurricane, he must then troubleshoot and get them back on where potential life-saving information will be broadcast. Mika said it's surreal, but he's ready. 

"We train for this stuff and prepare for it," he said. 

Off the coasts in Orlando, Mika says the biggest concerns are tornadoes. 

"They're expected because I guess in a hurricane, they can come off the rotation of the right side of the hurricane," said Mika. 

Once Hurricane Irma moves through, Mika will then likely be dispatched to the hardest hit areas to help there.

"The thing we're trying to figure out now is just logistics," said Mika. "We have rental vehicles but we may have to turn around and fly out we just don't know yet." 

Safety is the main priority as he and others work to keep radio stations on the air, so those impacted by the hurricane can be kept informed.

(Photo by Getty Images) 


© 2017 iHeartMedia, Inc.


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