What is Waffle House Index? Internet in frenzy over alarming signs as Hurricane Helene approaches Florida

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA: Waffle House closed all of its locations in Florida's Tallahassee and nearby Crawfordville before Hurricane Helene's landfall at the Sunshine State's northwest coast as a Category 4 storm on Thursday, September 26, reported USA Today.

To gauge the storm's severity, examining the Waffle House Index can indicate when it's time to evacuate the area. The restaurant chain, with 1900 locations across 25 states, is known for its 24x7 working hours; however, it now is an indicator of a storm's severity for more than a decade.

What is Waffle House Index?

The Waffle House Index is an unofficial metric devised by a former FEMA official to assess the extent of a storm's impact on a region. It was created in response to four storms that hit Florida in the early 2000s.

President George W Bush, in 2001, appointed Craig Fugate, an ex-emergency manager for Alachua County, Florida, as Florida's Division of Emergency Management in 2001.

Craig devised the unofficial system after Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne caused destruction in the state in 2004. The term Waffle House Index was coined in 2011 after the Joplin tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri.

The Waffle House Index uses three different colors to evaluate the degree of destruction a storm did to a region and what level of emergency help they need.

The color red signifies the restaurant chain is closed completely, indicating the region suffered the hardest.

Yellow represents Waffle House, which is open but serves only a limited menu. At the same time, the green color code indicates that the restaurant is fully open and functional.

For instance, if first responders spot a green-marked Waffle House, they would move forward knowing the area is safe, and if it is red, it needs help immediately.

According to Fugate, "If you get there and the Waffle House is closed, that's really bad. That's where you go to work."

"In areas predicted to be hit hardest hit, we will preemptively close restaurants with a goal of reopening them as soon it is safe to do so, to serve communities that have been there for us over the years," said a Waffle House representative ahead of Hurricane Helene's arrival to the Sunshine State.

Waffle House Index: An indicator of looming destruction

The Waffel House index has come to people's aid in evaluating the severity of an impending storm.

In August 2023, Hurricane Idalia hit the north of Florida, and the index showed how the storm impacted different parts of the state, as per CBS News.

For instance, 15 locations were out of power, but those with the yellow color code operated partially with generators. Five locations fell directly under the path of Idalia and were closed and marked red.

In 2022, the restaurant chain closed at least 35 locations after Hurricane Ian, which started as a Category 4 storm and later recategorized into Caretogy 5, leaving devastating flooding and millions out of power.

In response to the 2016 Hurricane Matthew, Waffle House closed 25 restaurants in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.

Internet in frenzy as Florida Waffle House locations close amid Hurricane Helene

Reports of Waffle House in Florida being closed due to Hurricane Helene have shocked netizens who noted it indicated a catastrophic disaster.

"That is the universal symbol for danger right there," a user said.

"If a WaHo is getting boarded up… that is bad news bears," another added.

"Yep & everyone knows why.. If Waffle House shuts down, it's about to go down," said a third user.

" I live in the desert and I’m shook. Waffle House goes hard. If they’re boarded up, all hell’s on its way in. Be safe, Florida," read a fourth response.

"Few things are as terrifying as a shuttered Waffle House," someone else wrote.

"Yep, this is something you don't want to see before a hurricane," an individual remarked.

"The fact that Waffle House has closed BEFORE Hurricane Helene makes landfall is truly disturbing. Floridians about to feel the unfettered wrath of god," read another remark.

"Pray for Florida. The @WaffleHouse index is the most important severe weather index. A closed Waffle House is terrifying," one user wrote.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.