CONNECTICUT, USA — The Connecticut Blood Center, or CTBC, issued an "urgent call" for blood donors as the southern United States braced for Hurricane Milton to make landfall in Florida Wednesday.
Donors are needed to ensure hospitals in weather-impacted areas have the blood supplies they need, according to a CTBC spokesperson.
Those looking to make a blood donation can view the eligibility guidelines and make an appointment by visiting ctblood.org or call 800-688-0900. The spokesperson said donors can give every 56 days and that the FDA recently lifted several blood door eligibility restrictions.
Milton is noted as one of the "strongest hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic" and the second major hurricane, following Helene, to target the southeastern U.S. in recent weeks. It is expected to make landfall on Florida's west coast Wednesday night, bringing a storm surge of 10-15 feet to the city of Tampa Bay, the spokesperson said.
“This has been one of the most devastating hurricane seasons we have seen in years, and a robust blood supply is essential for disaster preparedness and our country’s overall public health," said Jonathan DeCasanova, account manager and Community Relations spokesperson at Connecticut Blood Center. “We're calling on all eligible donors to help ensure a stable blood supply to support hospitals that rely on us, both locally and nationally, so our neighbors in the Southeast can focus on recovering from these storms without the burden of blood shortages. There’s no substitute for blood, and the need is critical, now more than ever.”
Weather emergencies in the Southeast have led to the closure of multiple blood centers, canceled scheduled blood drives and "restricted donor access" in weather-impacted areas, the spokesperson said.
The CTBC is currently providing a blood supply and is asking for Connecticut residents to help with the critical demand.
The disruptions will likely continue over the coming weeks and months, continuing to negatively impact the national blood supply, according to CTBC.
Sean Humphrey is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at shumphrey@fox61.com
RELATED:
---
Do you have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com.
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Stream Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.
