Hurricane Irene slammed the Bahamas Wednesday night and Thursday morning as a Category 3 storm and the National Hurricane Center is warning the East Coast to prepare for the possibility of a Category 4 storm touching down as soon as Saturday morning.

The National Hurricane Center said the coastal regions of North Carolina are most at risk, but the storm is likely to hit New England as well. Interior sections of the mid-Atlantic, including the Richmond, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia also may experience serious effects from Irene.

The Kidney Community Emergency Response Coalition has provided a list of hotline numbers for dialysis patients in the hurricane region.

•    DaVita: 800.400.8331
•    Fresenius: 800.626.1297
•    DCI: 866.424.1990
•    DSI: 877.374.3375
•    ARA: 888.880.6867
•    RAI: 800.403.2530
•    NKF: 888.33.KIDNEY (888.335.4363)
•    AKF: 800.638.8299
•    Dialysis Corporation of America 866.927.2107
•    FEMA: 800.621.FEMA (3362) or TTY 800.462.7585
•    National Emergency Family Registry and Locator System (NEFRLS): Register/Search: 800.588.9822

DaVita has a preparedness web page that includes details on how to create a three-day emergency diet for dialysis patients