LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — As the valley continues through one of the hottest stretches of the summer, one east Las Vegas family says they’ve been without a working air conditioner for more than two weeks.
Adriana Gonzalez-Chavez shares their concerns about going without air conditioning in triple-digit heat:
Elizabeth Durell, who is eight months pregnant, says the conditions inside her apartment at Pacific Harbors Sunrise have become increasingly difficult for her family as temperatures outside continue climbing well above 100 degrees.
“It’s been rough not being able to cook at home, spending extra money at restaurants because you turn your oven on and it’s 109 degrees in your house, even after it’s already 83 degrees,” Durell said.
The Durell family says they first started having air conditioning problems on July 17.
As they prepare for the arrival of their newest baby, Durell says the heat inside the apartment has made even simple daily tasks harder to manage.
“Especially with toddlers and especially with the one-and-a-half-year-old who is close to still at risk for SIDS, it’s not something you want to deal with,” she said.
From bottles and toys to preparing clothes and car seats for the baby’s arrival, Durell says the family has been trying to manage while living in temperatures ranging from 83 to 86 degrees indoors.
“You know, I’m trying to clean the car seats, clean the clothes; running a dryer heats your house, and it’s just — nothing’s getting done perfectly right now,” she said.
According to the family, apartment management offered to discount up to $200 from next month’s rent if they purchased a portable air conditioning unit themselves.
However, Howard Durell says the family could not afford the upfront cost.
“We’re in a three-bedroom and those little portable ACs that you can get for $200 are small,” he said. “We didn’t have that, and I let them know that.”
Clark County is currently experiencing a prolonged heat wave, with temperatures remaining in the triple digits for weeks.
Howard Durell says the situation has left him feeling helpless as he worries about his pregnant wife and children.
“It’s feeling really, like, you get this sense that you’re powerless,” he said.
The family says they were eventually able to borrow a portable AC unit from a neighbor, but conditions inside the apartment are still difficult.
“We have no fan, no AC in our room because we’re worried about our kids, so we have a fan blowing, that’s it,” Howard Durell said.
As the family waits for repairs and prepares for the birth of their baby in the coming weeks, Elizabeth Durell says she’s doing everything she can to stay healthy and cool during the ongoing heat wave.
We did reach out to Pacific Harbors Sunrise about the AC concerns, and they said they did not want to give a comment at this time.
