After forty years of enduring the intense summers in Phoenix, Mary Carter’s modest trailer’s air conditioning broke, leaving her immobilized by the heat.
For a month last summer, Ms. Carter, 73, spent her days in the seven-foot-long trailer in Arizona, where the temperature reached 115F (46.1C) or higher without any air circulation. She eventually received assistance from a county program that provides eligible lower-income homeowners with financial aid for air conditioning units and maintenance.
She told the news, “You can’t live in this town without air.” “Anyone who is trying to is crazy.”
On Thursday, the city is expected to see temperatures as high as 114F (45.5C). For communities around the US, not just in the American West, the dire prediction has become the new normal.
the world, with scientists noting that climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.
Health experts warn that heat-related mortality is on the rise, and one tactic communities throughout the US are using to combat extreme heat is the air conditioning program. Communities are being compelled to go above and beyond to ensure the survival of their most vulnerable citizens, most notably the homeless.
