Longtime Santa Monica resident Lori Woods used to love the one-bedroom apartment she and her husband shared. The second-floor unit had large, west-facing French doors that let in plenty of afternoon sunlight.
It didn’t have built-in air conditioning, but Woods was not too worried given its location seven blocks from the beach. The ocean breeze would keep temperatures moderate, she thought. And it did, for nearly four years. However, this year, Woods, an ADHD coach who works from home, found herself “holed up” in the bedroom. It was so hot that she had to run a portable A/C unit around the clock to avoid feeling dizzy and nauseated.
Global warming has been increasing temperatures for decades. But the summer of 2026, with its endless heat waves and unprecedented humidity levels due to El Niño, may be a tipping point for those in Southern California who thought they could survive without air conditioning…