- MEMPHIS, Tenn. — One Memphis family moved from their apartment to their car after strong storms over the weekend.
Yocairis Rodriguez says her family is using their car’s air conditioning to keep cool for six hours each night.
“We had to lower the seats. We put a whole bunch of blankets on it, so we could go to sleep,” she said.
The Rodriguez family chose their car because they don’t have enough money to get a hotel.
“I didn’t mostly get any sleep, because I had to take care of my baby sister.”
Yocairis’ 4-year-old sister has bad allergic reactions to mosquito bites.
When they slept in their apartment with the windows open the first night they lost power, she ended up with over 30 bites on her arms and legs.
“Her arms and legs turn red and really big. She starts crying and yelling, ‘It hurts,” Yocairis said.
On the other side of town, Whitehaven residents like John Warren are also missing the electricity they depend on.
“I need some lights,” he said.
Warren also has difficulty sleeping, not because of the heat, but because he has breathing problems.
“I have three bottles of oxygen, so that will get me through the day,”
MLGW is working day and night to get every home up and running.
They’re asking residents to be patient as they say they’re doing the best they can.