Do you want to know how bad a hurricane will be? Go to your local waffle place

In case of emergency, go for waffles

It’s hard to judge how a natural disaster affects a community, however throughout the years one reliable source of information in the Southern U.S. has been taking a visit to your nearest waffle restaurant.

FEMA approves

This is called The Waffle House Index and, though it might sound like a joke, it’s very real. The term was coined by former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate in 2011 after a tornado went through Joplin, Missouri, and Waffle House remained open despite millions of dollars in damages.

Hurricane Milton

AP News writes that in preparation for hurricane Milton hitting Florida, many local towns along the Gulf Coast such as Tampa, Cape Coral, and St. Petersburg knew what was coming was big when local Waffle Houses closed in preparation.

Code Green

But how does the Waffle House Index work? Well, if the lights are on, and the restaurant is serving a full menu, everything is good, and the damage is limited. This means green.

Code Yellow

Yellow is more serious. It means that the local Waffle House is only offering a limited menu, the power generator is on, and the restaurant is probably running low on food supplies.

Code Red

Code red means that the restaurant is closed, due to severe damage or unsafe conditions. In the words of former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate: “If you get there and the Waffle House is closed? That’s really bad. That’s where you go to work”.

Big in the South

But why Waffle House out of all places and not, say, McDonald’s or Tim Horton’s? Well, one reason behind is how ubiquitous the franchise is in the US South. Its official website boasts that it has over 1,600 restaurants spread out from the Mid-Atlantic to the Gulf Coast.

Open as much as possible

Decades facing hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes have also taught the Southern-based breakfast place, open 24 hours every day of the year, a thing, or two about how to remain open in the face of a natural disaster.

Getting out of a sticky situation

Waffle House has a limited emergency menu in case of low food supplies or power outages, emergency warehouses, and contingency plans and teams to reopen as soon as it’s safe to get back to work.

Not the only game in town

However, it’s important to point out that Waffle House isn’t the only one prepared in case of an emergency. Walmart, Target, and similar retail stores are known for also remaining open as much as possible during an emergency.

Comfort food

Nonetheless, nobody can deny the soothing power of some hot waffles with butter and maple syrup.

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