Nashville heat wave: How vulnerable residents can keep cool with free A/C unit, fans

Settle in, Nashville, the heat is here to stay.

Middle Tennessee averages 54 days a year with high temperatures above 90 degrees, according to meteorologists with the National Weather Service, but so far in 2024, the Nashville area has experienced more than a dozen.

That means the region could see at least 42 more 90 and above days this summer. For vulnerable populations, heat like we're experiencing can quickly lead to exhaustion, stroke or in some circumstances death.

The weather service recommends reducing outdoor activities, drinking plenty of water and staying in air-conditioned areas, but not everyone has access to cool air.

The Metro Action Commission is hoping to help.

Through the Summer Cooling Program, eligible residents can receive a free fan or air conditioning unit and, in some circumstances, both, between now and Aug. 31, according to the commission.

Eligible residents include:

• Those 60 years or older.
• Those with a physical disability or a medical condition that is worsened by extreme temperatures.
• Those with children five years old or younger.

To apply for a unit, residents can visit the commission's website at www.nashville.gov/departments/metro-action/fan-and-air-conditioner-program.

The program runs largely on donations of new air conditioning units and money. Anyone wishing to make a monetary donation can do so by writing checks payable to the Metropolitan Action Commission with a notation that it's for the Summer Cooling Program.

Donations of new, sealed air conditioning units or fans can be dropped off at the commission's headquarters at 1281 Murfreesboro Pike.