What is the Waffle House Index?

What is the Waffle House Index?
Waffle House is a restaurant chain that is known for being open 24/7. It is rarely ever closed except when there are severe weather events. For this reason, it is used as an informal gauge by FEMA to assess the impact of a natural disaster. The phrase “Waffle House Index” was coined by a FEMA administrator in 2011 following the Joplin EF5 tornado that left 158 people dead and caused $2.8 billion dollar in damages. Despite this, two Waffle House restaurants remained opened.
The index has three levels
1) Green: full menu – The Waffle House has power and water and damage is minimal or absent
2) Yellow: limited-menu – The Waffle house is either has no power, or power is being delivered by a generator. The Waffle House may or may not have water. Food supplier are running low.
3) Red: closed – The Waffle House has been severely damaged or flooded.
Works Cited:
https://www.wafflehouse.com/how-to-measure-a-storms-fury-one-breakfast-at-a-time/
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