How Waffle House can measure disaster severity

“If you get there and the Waffle House is closed? That’s really bad.”

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — After Hurricane Helene swept through the southeast, some turned to an unusual yet reliable indicator of storm severity: the Waffle House Index.

The well-known Atlanta-based diner has gained a reputation as a simple way to gauge how hard a community is hit by a disaster.

The “Waffle House Index” was coined by Craig Fugate, a former head of FEMA, after observing that even after a tornado in Joplin, Missouri, two Waffle House restaurants remained operational.

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

How it works

The index operates on a simple scale:

• If Waffle House locations are open with a full menu, the index is green.

• If they’re serving a limited menu, it’s yellow, indicating potential issues with power or water.

• If a Waffle House location closes entirely, the index moves to red, signaling severe community disruption.

“If a Waffle House can serve a full menu, they’ve likely got power (or are running on a generator),” Fugate said in a FEMA agency blog post in 2017 . “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: exactly what hungry, weary people need.”

According to the company’s website , Waffle House operates over 1,900 locations across 25 states, with the majority situated in the Midwest.

Hurricane Helene aftermath

Hurricane Helene slammed into Florida’s Big Bend the night of Sept. 26 as a powerful Category 4 storm, making history as the strongest hurricane ever to hit the region.

Though Helene has since weakened into a post-tropical system, but its weather still brings hazardous conditions.

Despite this, by 6 a.m. CDT on Sept. 27, at least one location in Tallahassee was back in service .

Serving up recovery efforts

After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and surrounding areas in 2005, Waffle House quickly enhanced its disaster response strategy.

Their updated hurricane playbook details how to reopen restaurants under various conditions—whether there’s gas but no electricity, or a generator is available, but ice is scarce. By streamlining the menu, Waffle House ensures that suppliers can focus on delivering essential items, tailored to the challenges of each situation.

The chain also activates a dedicated storm center to manage operations during these events. FEMA even looks to Waffle House, alongside major retailers like Target and Walmart, as a measure of how well a community is bouncing back.

“Businesses in communities are often some of the biggest drivers of recovery,” noted Craig Fugate, former FEMA administrator.

In 2011, Waffle House got their first chance to execute their disaster plan.

The company began monitoring Hurricane Irene 10 days before its arrival to ensure supplies were ready ahead of the storm, according to the Waffle House website . One location had to temporarily close when power went out, leaving the kitchen too dark for cooking, but it was back in operation the very next morning.

The restaurant reopened at dawn using a gas grill, despite the power outage. Employees served a limited menu, including ham-and-egg sandwiches and hamburgers, with servers encouraging customers to order sausage due to grill space.

By 9 a.m., cars were lining up, and when the power was restored at 10 a.m., waffles were added back to the menu.

“As Craig often says, the Waffle House test doesn’t just tell us how quickly a business might rebound – it also tells us how the larger community is faring,” Dan Stoneking, FEMA director of external affairs, said in a 2012 FEMA blog post . “The sooner restaurants, grocery and corner stores, or banks can re-open, the sooner local economies will start generating revenue again – signaling a stronger recovery for that community.”

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