Very heavy blood usage by local patients during the past two days has caused the local blood supply to drop sharply right before the Labor Day Weekend. Labor Day Weekend is traditionally one of the three worst weekends of the year for usage and this drop even before the weekend begins could spell trouble for the local blood supply.

While Hurricane Irene did not cause damage in Erie County, the effects of the storm are actually impacting the local blood supply. Blood drives up and down the East Coast were canceled as Irene blew through, causing the loss of thousands of blood donations in this part of the country. As a result, blood that would normally be available for purchase by the Community Blood Bank in emergency situations has been diverted to the blood centers that were forced to cancel drives.

“We have to make sure our donors are providing enough blood locally right now,” said Dan Desrochers, director of marketing at the Community Blood Bank. “We don’t have the option to buy blood from other blood centers. That safety net is not there.”

All donors are strongly encouraged to donate at the Community Blood Bank, 2646 Peach Street. Community Blood Bank is open from 8a.m. to 6p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturday 9a.m.-12:30 p.m. Photo ID required.