‘It saves lives’: Increased need in blood donations after Hurricane Milton

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The need for blood donations higher than ever in Florida following aftermath of Hurricane Milton.

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For Gretchen Williams, donating blood is something she feels called to do.

“I feel like it’s a duty that I have. I meet all the qualifications so I mean, why not?” Williams told Action News Jax during her donation Friday morning. “It helps people, it saves lives.”

Now, donors like Williams are more important than ever in the wake of Hurricane Milton.

According to the American Red Cross, Hurricane Helene, which struck the sunshine state just a couple weeks before Milton, forced the cancelation of many blood drives. Thousands of possible blood donations went uncollected.

“Here in Jacksonville we’ve been very fortunate that [Milton] didn’t hit us as hard as it could have,” Williams added. “We should give so other people can benefit.”

Action News spoke with Susan Forbes Friday morning, the spokesperson for OneBlood, who says following Helene and Milton – the time to donate is now.

“It’s so important that people who are eligible to donate, please step forward to do so and help replenish the blood supply,” Forbes urged.

Now the ultimate hope: full chairs and lots of donations to save the lives of those in need in wake of tragedy.

You can find more information about donating here.

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