The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) relies on Waffle House closures to determine how bad a disaster is. As crazy it sounds, this is the basis of the Waffle House Index. The index is a basic measurement of the status of Waffle Houses across a given area. The more closures, the worse the disaster.
While this seems like an insane measurement, it makes sense. Waffle House is a 24/7 fast, casual, diner style chain which is known to always be open no matter what. They are typically well managed in order to stay functioning with the hectic schedules and rapid pace of their industry. What exactly is the Waffle House Index though?
The Waffle House Index
Waffle House is known for being a massive chain located primarily in the south. If you live in the south, you’ve driven by countless Waffle Houses. Waffle House is known for being basically everywhere so you get a good distribution on a map. It is one of several companies used by FEMA including Walmart, Lowes, and Home Depot.
I didn’t know just how many Waffle Houses existed until I started noticing them after learning about this index. I’ve lived in the south basically my entirely life and I’ve never seen a billboard or ad for Waffle House. They’re everywhere, but basically hiding in plain sight. Small towns and large cities alike have them in many parts of the south.
It tends to have locations throughout areas hit by extreme weather which is how it came to be associated with storm and disaster impact. Another thing which makes the Waffle House Index work is the fact that Waffle House prepares for these types of disasters and has generators onsite and similar provisions to make sure things keep working.
How Is the Waffle House Index Measured?
The Waffle House Index creates a map of target businesses in a location and determines whether they’re fully open, conditionally open (limited menu or similar), or closed. Due to their emergency preparations, a Waffle House will only close when things get extremely bad. It usually takes complete disruption of infrastructure or destruction of the location for them to close.
While I’m not really fond of their food, it’s incredible to see them be the only restaurant or business in general open disaster after disaster. When you see the local Waffle House still open, you know things weren’t actually that bad overall. If they’re open but down to a limited menu, you know things may be a bit tougher and you should prepare supplies if possible. If they’re closed, you should get out of the area if possible.
Why Is This Even a Thing?
It’s crazy to think that a waffle chain would spark a whole measurement system for disaster impact, but here we are. The fact that it’s a 24/7 business known for being open no matter what, and the fact that they prepare for disasters so they can continue to be open makes them a perfect business to index. The nature of a 24/7 business requires good management to function in the first place. Most restaurants or businesses will shut down just to be safe, but Waffle House (among others) will stay open as long as practical (for better and for worse).
Walmart and other businesses are good measurements in certain areas, but aren’t everywhere. People have to eat, so a large chain of restaurants is going to be more willing to open in bad conditions. The combination of companies FEMA uses allows a much more thorough measurement of the state of the area. While the same metric can be applied to pretty much any chain to some degree, the specific companies chosen by FEMA are selected because of their consistent policies and their ability to weather smaller events which necessitate a closure for smaller chains.
Applying It to Your Life
The Waffle House Index is a great litmus test of how bad a disaster or event really is. What happened and what businesses were impacted? What about the local Waffle House or Walmart? A franchised restaurant might close down because of hail, but a chain will usually have more universal policies in place. Other stores will stay open even through a tornado watch.
If an event has occurred, look and see how the Waffle House (or equivalent) has managed the crisis. If you need supplies, drive to an area where you can find an open Waffle House. They probably weren’t hit as badly. If you see the business of choice closing, get ready to try and prepare for the disaster.
I apply the same logic when watching the panic of preppers. Preppers may be freaking out over something that doesn’t matter, but they’re going to drive fear and panic. The people buying a hundred packs of toilet paper might be buying it for the wrong reason, but if it’s in stock, go ahead and grab some. It will be gone when the panic sets in. By taking note of signs of the impact of a disaster, you can prevent the disaster from impacting you as badly.
Conclusion
FEMA uses the Waffle House Index as their secret weapon in order to assess how bad a disaster really is. You should do the same in your life in order to try to be ahead of the curve. Knowing the implications and the reason why this index exists means you can react accordingly.
I don’t much eat at Waffle House, but I know where the nearest one is. I also know if they’re open or not on a day by day basis, especially in a disaster. This simple metric has kept me from being out of supplies during an emergency. It has enabled me to stock up before being left unable to do so.
The Waffle House Index is good enough and simple enough for FEMA to use. It’s made to be a simple easy litmus test that can be applied without heavy use of technology. Pay attention to the writing on the wall and you can avoid disaster.
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