The Waffle House Index helps southerners and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) judge hurricane intensity

Golden hashbrowns, biscuits topped with gravy, and crisp pancakes drizzled with maple syrup are among the classic comfort foods of the South. But when? Hurricanes Tearing up southeastern cities, hot meals and local bold yellow signs Waffle House Providing another kind of comfort.

If a Waffle House restaurant remains open in the city, even at limited capacity, neighbors will be reassured that the coming storm is unlikely to cause devastation. The closed location of the trusted restaurant chain has become a sign of impending disaster. The measure is known as the Waffle House Index.

What may seem like absurd logic has become one of the most reliable ways for Southerners — and even federal officials — to gauge a storm's severity and identify communities most in need of immediate assistance.

About two dozen Waffle House locations remained closed in the Carolinas and the chain's home state of Georgia on Tuesday, nearly two weeks after the states were among those hit. Hurricane Helen. Several other locations were open but offering a limited menu.

like Hurricane Milton As still-recovering Florida communities move closer to Helen, several Waffle House locations have opened along the Gulf Coast, including those in Tampa, Cape Coral and St. Petersburg. Closed in preparation.

What is the Waffle House Index?

The South's Preferred Disaster Authority provides an informal measure of how much a storm will affect or impact a community.

The chain's location map of more than 1,900 locations, concentrated in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, helps residents of storm-prone states assess whether they're likely to lose power, experience severe flooding or endure other extreme conditions that could knock out a resilient restaurant. . Close its doors. For some, it's a clear sign of whether they need to evacuate.

Waffle House is known not only for serving breakfast 24/7, 365 days a year, but also for being disaster prepared. For decades, people across the South noticed that their local Waffle House seemed to be the only business still open during the storm or the first to reopen after it passed.

The restaurant chain's reputation for staying open when people most needed a place to warm up, charge devices and eat a hot meal has become a somewhat reliable — if entertaining — source to help track recovery efforts.

How does the indicator work?

Waffle House's social media shares color-coded maps of the locations of its restaurants in specific areas that will soon be damaged or recovering from storm damage. FEMA also offers some live tracking.

Green means the site presents a complete list, indicating minimal damage to the surrounding area. The lights are on and the drinks are flowing.

Yellow means the restaurant offers a limited menu, which is an indication that it draws power from a generator and may have a low food supply. The area may not have running water or electricity, but there is enough gas to fry bacon for hungry customers.

Red means the location is closed, a sign of unsafe operating conditions and severe damage to the restaurant or surrounding communities.

How did the indicator start?

Former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugit He said he created the Waffle House Index while leading emergency management efforts in Florida in 2004. He was looking for something to eat while surveying the devastation left by Hurricane Charley and could only find a Waffle House that offered a limited menu.

His team began noticing other open waffle houses in communities without electricity or running water. The restaurants eventually became a main feature on a color-coded map his team provided to help the public and local officials pinpoint where storm damage was most severe.

Fugate continued to use his color-coded map when he joined FEMA in 2008 President Barack Obama. He was the agency's director in 2011 when a deadly tornado tore through Joplin, Missouri. Both Waffle Houses in the city have reportedly remained open.

The restaurant chain's preparedness for disasters is no coincidence. Seven sites were destroyed and another 100 closed in 2005 during the period Hurricane KatrinaBut company executives saw a spike in business at restaurants that quickly reopened.

They quickly embraced A Business strategy It's centered around keeping their restaurants operational during and after a disaster, according to the company's website. The chain said it invested in portable generators, purchased a mobile command center and trained employees on what they can do in the event of a power outage.

What does the index say about Hurricane Milton?

Waffle House closed several locations in Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton's landfall, indicating damage will likely be severe.

It was Milton It was once again upgraded to a Category 5 storm Tuesday as it moved toward the west coast of Florida. A ferocious storm can strike once in a century Direct hit In Tampa and St. Petersburg, it's sweeping the densely populated area Towering storms Divert debris from Helen's devastation In projectiles.