Tennessee’s recent heat wave pushed “feels like” temperatures above 110 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas, prompting warnings for residents to stay indoors, drink water, and use air conditioning whenever possible. But for tens of thousands of households across the state, that basic protection may simply be out of reach.
What’s happening?
According to the Tennessee Lookout, a May U.S. Census Bureau estimate suggests that about 49,700 Tennessee households, or roughly 2% of all households in the state, may be without any air conditioning.
For Christina Joann Rainey, a 31-year-old single mother, those numbers describe her daily life. Rainey told the outlet that the temperature inside her home reached 82 degrees after the air conditioning system she inherited finally stopped working. She said a replacement would cost about $7,500, which she cannot afford.
Her options were limited as temperatures climbed. Rainey and her 15-year-old daughter sometimes sat in their car for relief or went to a nearby Dollar General, but leaving home also meant worrying about the pets they left behind — her Australian Shepherd and 13-year-old cat…