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Communities encouraged to stay ready, give blood or platelets during National Preparedness Month
— The American Red Cross continues to experience a national blood emergency as remnants of Hurricane Debby and other severe weather events across the country have further complicated efforts to rebuild the nation’s blood supply. Those in unaffected areas are urged to make an appointment to give now.
Weather in recent weeks has added to the summer shortfall in donations by forcing the cancellation of nearly 60 blood drives throughout the country, many of which were caused by Debby, causing approximately 1,500 lifesaving blood products to go uncollected. Annually, severe weather − such as blizzards, tornadoes, flooding and hurricanes − impacts about 90,000 blood donations made to the Red Cross. In Ohio, 763 blood drives have been canceled due to weather over the last 10 years, including 26 so far this year. This has resulted in about 270 donations going uncollected in the Central & Southern Ohio Region to-date in 2024. Because blood has a short shelf life and can only come from volunteer blood donors, any disruptions in the ability to collect lifesaving blood can have serious consequences for hospitals and patients.
First-time donors and those who give regularly are critical to blood supply recovery. To make an appointment, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
Those who come to give Sept. 1-15 will receive an exclusive Red Cross raglan T-shirt, while supplies last.
Be ready for emergencies
September is National Preparedness Month, and a strong blood supply is key to preparedness for disasters and medical emergencies. As disasters occur more often and become more powerful due to the climate crisis, the Red Cross also encourages people to get their households ready for emergencies. This year the country has already seen the earliest Category 5 storm ever recorded with Hurricane Beryl, and wildfires have burned 1.5 million more acres compared to all of 2023.
It’s important to build a customizable disaster plan and stay informed when devastation occurs. Step-by-step resources on how to stay safe and prepare for emergencies are available on redcross.org/gethelp. Download the free Red Cross Emergency App for real-time weather alerts and expert preparedness and safety advice in both English and Spanish.