HAMPTON, Va. — Adrian Thayer was staying cool Thursday, but at a cost she wasn't sure if she would be able to afford.
“It’s a struggle every day," Thayer said about trying to keep her home livable.
She had never used window AC units in her home before. She didn’t know how much running them would cost and worried it would be more than she could afford.
Watch: Gov. Spanberger shares message ahead of historic Virginia heat wave; find cooling centers near you
Regardless, they were her only option because she also couldn’t afford the roughly $5,000 to get the main AC unit replaced. If the window units go out and have to be replaced, she’ll have to make some cuts.
“Bills aren’t going to get paid," said Thayer. "It’s going to cause me to cut back on toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent.”
A bigger concern for her, though, is making sure her pets, especially her dog, stay cool.
Watch: Community steps up to help Hampton horse sanctuary keep horses cool in the heat
“I can take clothes off. He can’t take fur off," Thayer said.
According to data from the National Weather Service, heat, by far, causes the most weather-related deaths. In 2024, there were 529 heat-related deaths in the U.S. The next closest category was flooding, which killed 149 people.
Heat also had the highest 10 and 30-year death averages.
“The grid is ready. It’s prepared," Dominion Energy spokesperson Cherise Newsome said about the electric grid.
She said Dominion is confident in their system as people try to stay cool.
“We have a smart grid at Dominion Energy. That’s really helpful because it can identify trouble spots and our operations crews can redirect the flow of power as needed to keep more customers connected," Newsome explained.
Watch: Great Bridge Bridge heat precautions: What Chesapeake is doing ahead of extreme temps
Good news for people like Thayer, but it still doesn’t make staying cool an easier.
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