FEMA Unofficially Uses "The Waffle House Index" to measure hurricane severity

[dude1984]

There are a bunch of unusual ways you can track what's happening in the economy.

And one of the more popular informal measures is the so-called "The Waffle House Index" — an indicator that is actually unofficially used by FEMA.

Here's the gist of it: Waffle House restaurants notoriously stay open during natural disasters. So if the diner closes during an event, that suggests it was a really bad natural disaster with devastating effects on the economy. And on the flip side, if it stays open and serving a full menu, damage was relatively limited.

Waffle House Index and Hurricane Matthew - Business Insider

[froglipz]

Yes pretty well known as a good indicator!

[Labonte18]

For those who aren't familiar with Waffle house.. The restaurants are quite small.. Most of them pack in about 8 tables and a counter for customers.. They basically have a grill and waffle irons and microwaves for cooking.. That's about it. An example.. In Clinton, SC, for years.. This was a Waffle House. https://goo.gl/maps/qmeFp8ccvEU2 Now.. Turn that street view to the right, looking back at the interstate.. You see what's on the other side? Yep.. Waffle House. For 20+ years, BOTH of those units were in operation, and BOTH stayed packed. Rather than build a big Waffle House, they built 2 almost next door to each other. They finally closed that one and built a new one off the interstate for the locals.

So, anyway, waffle house has 'disaster teams' that get stationed when an event is coming through.. Glass is broken at a store.. The store patches it up, continues operating, the response team is there within an hour or two and replaces the glass.

The store loses power.. The team delivers and hooks up a generator.

If the store has no potable water.. Then they operate on a limited menu. Hot beverages, nothing cold that would utilize water.. So, no sodas, tea, etc.

If no natural gas, my understanding is the team has gas tanks for the store to run off of.

But, it's a pretty well-oiled machine. Their teams can even put FEMA to shame in their response times.


As for the rest.. If you've never eaten at a Waffle House.. Hmm.. It's the best thing in the world when you're drunk at 2am and it's the only thing open. I enjoy going there when I have a hankering for breakfast for dinner. Breakfast foods are pretty much the best part of it and the only reason to go (IMO). The waffles are nothing spectacular.. Most people don't even have them. I'd think, just based on what I see.. Less than 10% of people who eat there get a waffle. I only get one if I get the All-Star Special.

[Mathguy]

I ate at a waffle house once.

I figure the only way it stays in business is that it lets people smoke in it.

Google Jim Gaffigan Waffle House Youtube, he has a great comedy bit on Waffle house.

(Pronounced Awful House)

[jamies]

I thought it was because the buildings are notoriously ugly and poorly built and if the windows were intact it was a minor storm, but if the roof was gone it was bad?