You call the company that is nearest on the map, and it cannot take the job, or the Mobile-area firms quote a wait of a day or more.
Why it happens here: Lillian ends at the Perdido Bay Bridge and the Florida line. Work on an Alabama home needs a contractor licensed by the Alabama HVAC board, and Mobile is about as far as you can get in Baldwin County.
What the contractor does: Your call goes to Alabama-licensed contractors covering the Foley and Elberta side, who handle emergency AC repair and heat pump service out to the bay.