Photo: PATRICK T. FALLON / AFP / Getty Images
The American Red Cross is declaring a critical national blood shortage partly due to natural disasters like Hurricane Idalia.
The organization says the country's blood supply has dropped by almost 25% since early last month.
The Red Cross warns the shortage could potentially threaten the medical care of patients with critical conditions such as cancer and sickle cell disease or those who have an emergency need for blood.
The Red Cross, which provides about 40% of US blood announced on its website Monday that the supply is critically low.
Hurricane Idalia caused more than 700 units of blood and blood platelets to go uncollected in the southeastern US, according to the announcement.
“For so many patients living with urgent medical care needs, crises don’t stop with natural disasters,” Dr. Pampee Young, chief medical officer for the American Red Cross, said in Monday’s announcement.