Megan Heredia donates blood at the Shepeard Community Blood Center. MICHAEL HOLAHAN/STAFF

''It was our first thought of what we could do instantly to help is to come down here and give blood,'' dancer Jaime Burcham said as blood flowed from his right arm and a nearby television provided news coverage. ''If we could have gone down there (to New York) right away and helped them remove debris, we would have. But this is all we could do.''

National disasters such as the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing or Tuesday's terrorist attacks usually prompt people to help others, officials said. The blood center provided one avenue.

Want to donate? Shepheard Community Blood Center's Augusta and Martinez locations are accepting donations today beginning at 9 a.m. at 1533 Wrightsboro Road in Augusta across from Sweetheart Cup, and at 10 a.m. at 112 Davis Road in Martinez next to Green Thumb. In Aiken, the blood center opens at 10 a.m. on Pine Log Road next to Farmer's Furniture. Anyone at least 17 years old, weighing at least 110 pounds, who has not donated within the past eight weeks may be eligible to donate. FDA regulations require that donors must wait eight weeks between blood donations.

The center's Wrightsboro Road location opened at 1 p.m. Tuesday and quickly filled with people wanting to donate. Within an hour, the center was standing-room only with a line snaking throughout the lobby, leading officials to keep facilities open indefinitely.

After work hours, the line extended outside the door into the parking lot, and donors reported a two-hour wait. At one point the center ran out of blood forms, requiring officials to drive to Aiken for more.

''People are just so horrified by what has happened that they feel the need to do something,'' said Nancy Szocinski, the director of Shepeard's community resources and public relations. ''And they know that there will be blood needed.''

Ms. Szocinski said the need will continue throughout the week, and she encouraged anyone who could not donate Tuesday to return later.

The National Blood Exchange put out a call that all surplus blood be offered to the New York Blood Center because of the large number of injuries expected.

The Joseph M. Still Burn Center at Doctor's Hospital in Augusta could potentially receive patients from the New York or Washington areas, said Ginger Tyra, Doctors Hospital's director of marketing and public relations.

Doctors Hospital has the largest burn unit in the southeastern United States.

Tanya Simpson, the director of the burn center, said the Augusta facility is third in line to receive victims after hospitals in Richmond, Va., and Chapel Hill, N.C.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Richmond's facility had received no victims. Ms. Simpson said the first victims could arrive in Augusta within 48 hours.

''The fear is there's a lot of casualties instead of injuries,'' Ms. Simpson said.

Amy Markwalter (left) and Tiffany Bridges wait in line to donate blood at the center. MICHAEL HOLAHAN/STAFF

Locally, Ms. Tyra said the immediate impact facing the hospital was its ability to receive patients.

''The fact that aircraft cannot fly directly affects us,'' she said. ''The ability to transport or have patients transferred to our facility is greatly affected due to this tragedy.''

According to a press release from Columbia County's Emergency Services Division, Gold Cross' two air-med helicopters also were grounded Tuesday by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Reach Greg Rickabaugh or Ashlee Griggs at (706) 724-0851.