Waffle House Index: Is it closed in Western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene?

Scientists often use the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale to predict how destructive a hurricane will be. The scale was used to determine that Hurricane Helene would be a Category 4 storm as it swept through much of Western North Carolina.

But a more well-known – and perhaps even more reliable – indicator of how disastrous a storm can be is the “ Waffle House Index. ”

Is Waffle House closed in Western North Carolina?

According to the most recent unit status maps released by the company Friday afternoon, Oct. 4, in the wake of Hurricane Helene, two Waffle House locations in Western North Carolina were closed and 11 were offering limited menus.

That’s an improvement from just two days ago, when three locations were closed and 13 were offering limited menus, according to a post from the company on X.

[ANOTHER DINER TO VISIT: At the Salty Goat Grill in Western North Carolina, residents come in for coffee and community.]

Why is it so important if Waffle House is closed during a storm?

Why does it matter if Waffle House is open or closed during a storm? As it turns out, the status maps can tell us a lot about their severity.

“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,” Waffle House stated.

“If you get there and the Waffle House is closed?” former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate has said. “That’s really bad. That’s where you go to work.”