As all eyes are on Tropical Storm Dorian, OneBlood, the local nonprofit blood center serving Florida and the majority of the Southeast, says it must begin storm preparations now and is urging all eligible blood donors to donate before Dorian potentially impacts parts of its service area, according to a news release.
Ensuring a ready blood supply before, during and after the storm is crucial. While all blood types are needed, there is an increased need for O Negative and O Positive blood, as well as platelet donations.
Tropical systems can disrupt the blood supply for several days. The most critical time for blood donations is prior to any storm in order to sustain the blood supply during and immediately after the event.
Generally healthy people age 16 or older who weigh at least 110 pounds can donate blood.
OneBlood encourages all eligible donors to make blood donation part of their storm preparations and visit a donor center or Big Red Bus as soon as possible.
For a list of OneBlood locations and to learn more about the importance of blood donations, visit OneBlood.org.
