Power was restored to the homes on their streets at about 2 p.m. Friday.
When the rains settled down and the temperatures soared over the weekend, some of the county’s most vulnerable residents discovered just how important air conditioning is to their well being. The central air conditioning unit at the Waverly House, a 200-resident senior living center run by the county’s Housing Opportunities Commission, was broken at the beginning of last week. Officials at the center, on East West Highway in Bethesda, immediately acquired $350,000 in emergency funds to purchase a new system, but it wasn’t scheduled for installation until today. Temperatures today are expected to be cooler with a high of 84 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
In the meantime, Waverly purchased 100 window air-conditioning units and put a fan in each room, according to HOC spokeswoman Tedi Osias. Staff on site were conducting room checks throughout the day on Monday, and residents were invited to spend time in a lounge area, where fans and an air conditioner were giving cooling relief.
‘‘I’ve been doing okay,” said Mary Davis, 75, who just had an air conditioner installed in her room Monday. ‘‘They got stuff all around to keep us cool.”
Osias said one heat-related illness was reported, but the resident did not need to be transported to the hospital.
During a room check on Sunday morning, 73 residents were not at the house, but Osias said it’s impossible to tell how many left the building to stay with friends and family or simply weren’t in the building at the time.
The seniors at Waverly aren’t the only Bethesda residents trying to beat the heat. In downtown Bethesda Monday, lines for ice cream and shaved ice stood five and six deep at times, while outdoor dining areas sat nearly empty along Woodmont Avenue.
‘‘We’ve really just been staying inside, it’s too much outside,” said Jennifer Li, while her 4-year-old son Elliott splashed water in a fountain at the Bethesda Metro Station. ‘‘Just not enough cold.”
But as residents work to keep cool, others have had to keep a positive attitude and find things to be thankful for.
While unpacking from a business trip in Chicago Saturday night, Uwe Schmitt and his family heard a loud boom outside their Bethesda home. Thinking it was just a loud crack of thunder, the family went about their business. When Schmitt began smelling smoke and entered his study, he saw a different scene.
‘‘There was white smoke pouring out through the walls,” he said. ‘‘I just told everyone to get outside.”
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service rushed to the scene at about 9:30 p.m., and found that lightning had struck a gas line on the side of the house. Firefighters had trouble finding a cut-off valve, and eventually had to dig up part of the family’s yard to seal off the tube.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesman Pete Piringer estimated that the house sustained about $100,000 worth of damage.
Dark char marks line the walls of the study and a bathroom now, but Schmitt recognizes how lucky he and his family, who rent the home, really are.
‘‘No one got hurt, and we were able to save most things,” said Schmitt, whose family has lived in the home since 2002.
