To ensure a ready blood supply locally, a blood donation center is encouraging people to donate blood to those impacted by Hurricane Ian.
OneBlood said even though a significant portion of their service area in Florida has suspended blood collections due to dangerous conditions from Hurricane Ian, they remain open in Palm Beach County, Broward and Miami-Dade counties, Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg, as well as the Florida Panhandle, North and South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama.
"We are urging people who live in these areas that are not being impacted by the storm to come in and donate,” said Susan Forbes, senior vice president of corporate communications and public relations.
Friends! Yesterday, Hurricane Ian landed in Florida, causing extensive damage to several of our service areas.
— OneBlood (@my1blood) September 29, 2022
➡ If you live in an area highlighted in green on the map, please consider visiting one of your local donor centers or Big Red Bus locations: https://t.co/KH5TmBz3XF pic.twitter.com/bOVw7syNPZ
The center is seeking all blood types, especially O negative and O positive donors, as well as platelet donors. If you live in an area not impacted by the hurricane weather conditions, the organization is urging eligible donors to consider visiting one of their local donor centers or Big Red Bus locations.
“The need for blood does not stop for a hurricane," said Forbes. "We are depending on donors in the areas where we are open to please help by donating blood during this challenging time.”
To find a donor center or Big Red Bus blood drive near you, please visit oneblood.org.
For a list of locations where blood collections have been suspended, click here.