Hurricane Ian could disrupt blood supplies, organization says
A resident uses plastic as protection from the rain in Batabano, Cuba, Monday, Sept. 26, 2022. Hurricane Ian was growing stronger as it approached the western tip of Cuba on a track to hit the west coast of Florida as a major hurricane as early as Wednesday. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
A nonprofit that supplies blood to area hospitals is asking people to make donations before Hurricane Ian potentially disrupts supplies.
Hurricane Ian is projected to strike Florida on Wednesday, by which time it could be a Category 4 hurricane with winds of up to 140 miles per hour. By the time it hits southwest North Carolina, it’s expected to be downgraded to a tropical depression, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Susan Forbes is a spokeswoman for OneBlood, a nonprofit that serves more than 250 hospitals across the Southeast, including North Carolina. She’s urging people to donate as part of their preparedness plans.
”When you see a hurricane coming, it’s even more important that we bolster the blood supply," she says. "Once the storm hits, there may be parts of our service area that won’t be able to operate should it get really bad like they’re anticipating.”
Forbes says all types of blood are needed, but donations of O-negative and O-positive are most helpful.
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