Why the Waffle House Is the Best Indicator of Storm Strength
As of Thursday morning, the hurricane Dorian continues its way along the south – east of the USA, Georgia and the Carolinas on its way and m andatory evacuation issued for those living in coastal areas. For real-time alerts, you must download the FEMA App ; the app will provide updates and information about the shelter.
In determining how severe a storm or hurricane can be, FEMA uses another unofficial metric in preparing for natural disasters: the Waffle House Index. “If the [Waffle House] store is open, your community is saved,” writes USA Today . “If the store is open but has a limited menu, you probably suffered some damage. If the store is completely closed, you are in a disaster area. “
In other words, call your local Waffle House during or after a storm to see how things are going in your area. Yes, using breakfast to gauge the strength of a hurricane sounds ridiculous; however, it is much more useful when looking for a restaurant that might open soon after a storm, especially if you are struggling to find an affordable grocery store or other open-air restaurants.
In fact, you can count on chain restaurants like Waffle House and other big stores like Home Depot to reopen quickly after the storm. “These companies have good risk management plans to keep their stores operational in the event of a disaster, and to provide essential goods to people in their area,” FEMA wrote on its website in 2011.
According to USA Today , in October during Hurricane Michael, both federal and local governments relied on the Waffle House Index to determine the status of community recovery. (All but three stores were operating at full capacity during the hours or days immediately following the storm.) The Waffle House also has its own storm center in Georgia that monitors conditions during storms and determines if reinforcements should be sent to their stores.
As for Hurricane Dorian, “We are not planning to close any restaurants at this time,” said Pat Warner, a spokesman for the Waffle House, via email. “However, as conditions may change, we may close some of them.”