Just ask anyone in the South. Waffle House will not close. We are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays. In fact, Christmas is the busiest day of the year. The timeless breakfast menu is a staple of American life.
So when Waffle House do Close — when the bright yellow lights dim and the door locks — you know things are getting serious.
When the storm passes and you smell hash browns frying again, it's a sign that things are getting better, and not just that diners are reopening.
Anyone who has spent time at Waffle House knows that it's a bare-bones operation. Simple booths, an open kitchen, and a no-frills menu that includes T-bone steaks.
Waffle House restaurants are often located along highways in cities and small towns. They're getting a bit of a reputation for being rowdy, thanks to a video of a late-night brawl circulating online.
But the chain also has another, even more surprising claim to fame. This means that we are uniquely well prepared for disasters.
At Waffle House's headquarters, storm center and the entire operations and readiness team. The company's extensive contingency plans include emergency response teams and pre-stocked supplies, making closures and limited operations a sign of something truly dire.
Scattered showers
The Waffle House Index is a term coined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to measure the severity of a disaster based on the operating status of Waffle House restaurants. This is similar to the Big Mac Index, which correlates a country's exchange rate with the local price of a Big Mac.
Waffle House has more 1,900 locations nationwide. But they all share a dedication to the community around them.
If a severe hurricane were to spiral out of the Atlantic, it would most likely encounter dozens of Waffle Houses. In 2022, Hurricane Ian destroyed at least 35 homes. FEMA found that these diners are extremely resilient and their condition during hurricanes correlates with the impact of the disaster. This is a strange but effective indicator of the strange but important relationship between Waffle House and FEMA.
The index has three levels.
- Green: Waffle House is fully open with a full menu. This indicates minimal damage.
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Yellow: Restaurant is open, but with limited menu offerings. Power outages or supply issues may have affected operations.
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Red: Waffle House is closed. This is a serious situation because these diners rarely close.
see “red”
The Waffle House Index first gained attention in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina. Waffle House's closure largely followed the storm's path, with restaurants closing in the hardest-hit areas.
A correlation has become clear. When Waffle House closes, FEMA realizes things are getting worse.
Hurricane Florence in 2018 triggered “red” status across the Carolinas as severe flooding and infrastructure damage led to complete closures in many locations.
In 2021, Waffle House closures in Texas gave FEMA a key indicator of the severity of power grid outages and infrastructure failures across the state.
And most recently, during Hurricane Helen, Waffle Houses in Big Bend and inland Florida went “red” as the storm devastated the region, indicating the need for urgent relief efforts.
american water
I won't go into the history and logistics of the Waffle House Index here. Whenever a major hurricane occurs, the news media is flooded with articles about it.
Instead, consider a very American union between a federal agency and a breakfast chain.
This dynamic is well known. We are a company that collaborates with the private and public sectors, industry and states, and government agencies. In the wake of Helen and FEMA's disastrous response, social media has been flooded with vile memes claiming that Waffle House is better than FEMA.
This is ridiculous. Waffle House is not as prepared or equipped as FEMA. But that's also a false comparison. This relationship is similar to the power relationship between the provinces and the federation. Waffle House is more American because it's so personal and real. FEMA is more American in its budget, structure, and size. America is a beast with the wild heart of a high school dropout.
symbol of recovery
The reason why Waffle House is able to remain open even during disasters is because of its strong disaster prevention capabilities. Each location has a contingency plan, pre-stocked supplies and emergency teams on standby. This level of preparedness makes Waffle House stand out as a symbol of community resiliency in times of crisis.
The sooner Waffle House reopens, the more resilient our community will be. When the storm passes and you smell hash browns frying again, it's a sign that things are getting better, and not just that diners are reopening.
After a few days of MREs, Waffle House became almost gourmet and I joined the line of fellow survivors to eat hot food.
In America, victories over nature are often celebrated with a plate of greasy eggs and hash browns. What could be more appropriate?
