TAMPA, Fla. — Category 1. Category 3. Storm surge. These are all important factors in the impact of a storm like Hurricane Idalia. But did you know that the Waffle House Index is an indicator of the effects of those storms?
The iconic black-and-yellow Waffle House sign is visible on roads and highways all across the South to welcome diners 24/7. But severe weather can cause restaurants to limit service or close altogether, and this can be an indicator of how much damage a storm has caused.
“If you get there and the Waffle House is closed?” Former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate said. “That’s really bad. That’s where you go to work.”
The Waffle House Index breaks down like this:
- Green means the restaurant is serving a full menu, a signal that damage in an area is limited and the lights are on.
- Yellow means a limited menu, indicating power from a generator, at best, and low food supplies.
- Red means the restaurant is closed, a sign of severe damage in the area or unsafe conditions.
According to FEMA, "The index itself isn’t just about whether or not you can get pralines on your waffles or if you can get waffles at all, but rather about the damage in a neighborhood. If a Waffle House can serve a full menu, they’ve likely got power (or are running on a generator). A limited menu means an area may not have running water or electricity, but there’s gas for the stove to make bacon, eggs, and coffee."
Where did the Waffle House Index come from?
After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the surrounding area in 2005, Waffle House moved fast to bolster its post-disaster plans. Its hurricane playbook explains how to reopen a restaurant, what to serve if there is gas but no electricity, or a generator but no ice. Limiting the menu helps the company’s suppliers focus on keeping certain items stocked and chilled or frozen, depending on the conditions in the area.
In 2011, the plan was put to the test. The company started tracking Hurricane Irene 10 days before it made landfall to make sure it had supplies in place ahead of the storm. One Waffle House that was forced to close after the power went out and it got too dark for cooks to see reopened the next morning. According to the website:
"It reopened the next day at dawn. The overhead lights and walk-in freezer weren’t working, but the gas grill was. The cooks boiled water on the grill, then poured it through the coffee machine, over beans ground before the power went out. The district manager, Chris Barnes, handed employees copies of an emergency grill-only menu. The fare included ham-and-egg sandwiches for $3.15 and quarter-pound hamburgers for $2.70. Servers nudged customers to order sausage instead of bacon, because four sausage patties fit on the grill for every two slices of bacon.
"By 9 a.m., cars were lining up to get into the parking lot. At 10 a.m., the power came back on, the ceramic waffle irons were plugged in and waffles were added to the menu."