More than 600 homes at the Vantage Hill Condominiums in Reston have gone without air conditioning during a heat wave that sent 737 Virginians to emergency rooms in four days, according to a FOX5 DC report published Thursday, July 2.

The complex's central cooling system shut down last year after years of technical issues and breakdowns. Management company Abaris Real Estate Management told residents in March, that individual AC units and portable units remain prohibited because the building's electrical system cannot handle them.

Electrical upgrades won't be completed until next spring, Vantage Hill management told FOX5, leaving residents to endure an entire summer without functioning cooling.

The timing is particularly dangerous.

Virginia Department of Health surveillance data shows 737 heat-related emergency department visits statewide between Wednesday and Saturday. Friday was the single worst day, with 225 people seeking emergency care for heat illness.

"It is hot. I'm sweating. It's swampy, humid," said resident Amy Camire. "We're all just surviving, not thriving."

"It's actually quite scary because you feel an absolute victim of a situation that you can do nothing about. I understand that certain innovations are being provided. It's not enough," said Robin McCann.

Fairfax County bears the heaviest burden in the state. Since May, emergency departments in Fairfax County and the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church have logged 128 heat-related illness visits, more than any other Virginia jurisdiction, according to VDH surveillance data cited by FFXnow.

The National Weather Service called this the most significant heat wave in eastern Virginia since July 2012, when a dozen people died statewide from heat exposure.

FFXnow first reported in April that Vantage Hill residents might face the summer without AC after the central system failed. Three months later, the crisis the reporting warned about has arrived.

Cooling resources

Fairfax County opened a 24-hour cooling center at the Jim Scott Community Center in Oakton during the July 4 weekend.

Residents experiencing heat-related symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, or confusion should call 911. The Fairfax County non-emergency line is 703-691-2131 for information about cooling resources and shelter availability.