Winter weather hinders blood drives and intensifies the blood shortage

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – A severe blood shortage has intensified after the extreme winter weather led to over 500 blood drives being cancelled.

The American Red Cross originally announced a severe blood shortage on Jan. 20 after the national blood supply fell nearly 35% over the span of a month. Donations initially rose after the announcement until Winter Storm Fern swept through the country.

“With the storm that came through and hit the entirety of the region, we had to cancel 47 blood drives,” said Don Hawkins, the regional communications manager for the American Red Cross. “Leaving hundreds of units of blood products to go uncollected, which kind of slowed down our ability to bounce back from the shortage that we found ourselves in.”

According to the Red Cross, the weather conditions also impacted their ability to transport vital blood products, which can affect deliveries to hospitals. This complication can lead to medical professionals having to make hard choices in the medical field.

“There’s a bigger emphasis being put on making sure the blood is there for emergency situations,” Hawkins said. “More elective or less time-sensitive operations could be postponed to ensure that we have enough blood on hand to take care of folks going through emergencies that, you know, in an emergency.”

You can make an appointment to donate blood through the Red Cross Blood Donor app or through their website. The entire process only takes an hour and a single donation can save up to three lives.