By Frederic Klein

The impacts of Hurricane Helene on Western North Carolina were immense, knocking out power and running water for hundreds of thousands of people throughout twenty-five counties. Among those without power and water was the Asheville Blood and Platelet Center, which is the primary distribution site for blood products needed by numerous hospitals in the area. Without power or water, there would be no ice to keep the blood cold enough to store and transport safely when and where it is needed.   

As Hurricane Helene made its way up the Appalachian Mountains on September 27, there were 161 units of  blood stored in the Asheville facility that would be lost along with the power. They coordinated with a team in Charlotte who braved the early parts of the hurricane and drove four hours, including a detour around a mudslide which closed off part of Interstate 40, to bring the lifesaving blood products to another facility where it would be able to weather the storm.  

“It’s something we didn’t really want to have to do,” said the blood distribution team in Asheville. “But once the power went down, everything is monitored by our [computer] system, so without that and not having the wet ice or dry ice to pack the products in, we didn’t have a choice but to get it out of here.”  

After the storm passed through the area, with rivers swollen by as much as 30 inches of rainfall, the Asheville facility faced an urgent need to resume operations as quickly as possible. The American Red Cross operates a national blood supply, but it relies on a network of distribution points to ensure that blood products are stored relatively close to where they can be delivered as needed. Without a location in Asheville, hospitals that typically can get blood within thirty minutes were instead forced to use facilities that were several hours away.  

Although power returned a week later, the devastating flooding had caused severe damage to the water infrastructure of Asheville and tens of thousands of people – including the Asheville Blood and Platelet Center – were looking at weeks without running water. Not only would this make it impossible for phlebotomists to wash their hands, but it also meant that there would be no way to create the eighteen pounds of ice per box required to pack twelve units of blood. Further complicating the blood center’s operations, the two-story center has been converted into a headquarters for the Red Cross disaster relief operation.  

Several members of the biomedical services team quickly got to work to figure out a solution to the lack of water and ice – as well as share space with the ongoing disaster response centered in Asheville.  “We have to make sure we are working seamlessly with the disaster response because that [humanitarian relief] need to come first,” said Wendy Armstrong, Director of Collections for the Red Cross Southeast and Caribbean Division.   “We’ve worked to make sure we can share portable bathrooms, washing stations, and making sure there’s enough water coming in to keep those stations running.”   

In anticipation of the sustained relief operation and an influx of blood donors, as well as the support staff needed to operate the blood center, the team got to work on a plan. They ordered another bathroom trailer with handwashing stations, as well as the requisite water to operate it. They secured vendors who could deliver regular shipments of ice needed to maintain the necessary 20 °F to 24 °F temperature range for the blood being collected or awaiting delivery to local hospitals.  

With a plan in place, and the first load of ice personally delivered by biomedical services staff, the Asheville Blood and Platelet Center was able to reopen a mere ten days after Hurricane Helene struck. Blood donors immediately answered the call and came in to roll up their sleeves, and mobile drives were set up throughout the area. In the first week of resumed operations alone, hundreds of local residents came to donate blood. Amidst the turmoil of hurricane recovery, a sense of normalcy had returned to Western North Carolina and local residents could distract themselves from the ongoing disaster by giving the gift of life.  

The need for blood is constant. Appointments are available seven days a week, including at the Asheville Blood and Platelet Center as well as at mobile drives throughout Western North Carolina. Come give the gift of life by visiting www.RedCrossBlood.org to find an available appointment near you.