The American Red Cross is urging the public to donate blood in the wake of Hurricane Florence.
The storm's wrath left catastrophic damage behind and took a toll on blood and platelet donations.
"Natural disasters like hurricanes can disrupt blood drives and prevent donors from giving, but hospital patients still depend on lifesaving transfusions," said Cliff Numark, senior vice president, Red Cross Blood Services. "There is an especially critical need for platelets to help cancer patients and type O blood donations for ongoing patient care and emergencies. Every donation can be a lifeline for patients."
The Red Cross was forced to cancel nearly 200 blood drives in the Southeast, resulting in more than 5,200 uncollected blood and platelet donations.
In North Carolina, 57 blood drives were called off due to the storm, causing more than 2,000 blood and platelet donations to go uncollected. You can make an appointment by using the Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).