Those are still common in some areas. My apartment in Hurricane had a “swamp cooler” on it as well as a totally inefficient window air conditioner, but during the monsoon months (mid-June to late August) the swamp coolers are totally useless. When one is used to single digit humidity, 11% can feel as miserable as 95% does, here.
We just had some seriously threatening thunder and dark clouds, but it passed without any further ado.