Disaster with a side of bacon: The Waffle House index



Ask any southerner: Waffle House doesn’t close. It’s open 24/7, even on holidays — in fact, Christmas is its busiest day of the year. Its never-ending breakfast menu is a staple of American life.

So when Waffle House does close — when the bright yellow lights dim and the doors lock — you know things have gotten serious.

When a storm passes and you smell those hash browns frying again, it’s not just a diner reopening — it’s a sign that things are getting better.

Anyone who’s spent time at Waffle House knows it’s a bare-bones operation — simple booths, an open kitchen, and a no-frills menu from which you can even order a T-bone steak.

Waffle House restaurants are often located along highways in cities and small towns. They have a bit of a reputation for rowdiness, thanks to videos of late-night altercations surfacing online.

Yet the chain also has another, more surprising claim to fame: It's uniquely well prepared for disasters.

Waffle House headquarters has a storm center and an entire operations and readiness team. Their extensive contingency plans include emergency response teams and pre-stocked supplies, making their closure or limited operation an indicator of something truly serious.

Scattered showers

The Waffle House Index is a term coined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to measure disaster severity based on the operational status of Waffle House restaurants. It’s kind of similar to the Big Mac Index, which correlates the exchange rate of a country to the local cost of a Big Mac.

Waffle House has more than 1,900 locations nationwide. Yet they all share a devotion to their surrounding community.

If a serious hurricane spirals out of the Atlantic Ocean, it’s most likely going to be faced with dozens of Waffle Houses — in 2022, Hurricane Ian knocked out at least 35 locations. FEMA noticed that these diners are so resilient that their status during hurricanes correlates with the impact of the disaster. It’s a quirky yet effective metric that exemplifies the odd but vital relationship between Waffle House and FEMA.

The Index has three levels:

  • Green: Waffle House is fully operational with a complete menu. This indicates minimal damage.
  • Yellow: The restaurant is open but serving a limited menu. Power outages or supply issues likely impacted operations.
  • Red: Waffle House is closed. This is a serious situation, as these diners rarely shut down.

Seeing 'red'

The Waffle House Index first gained traction after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Waffle House closures closely followed the storm’s path, with restaurants shutting down in the hardest-hit areas.

The correlation became apparent — when Waffle House closes, FEMA knows things are bad.

The “red” status was invoked across the Carolinas during Hurricane Florence (2018), as many locations shut down completely due to severe flooding and infrastructure damage

In 2021, Waffle House closures in Texas gave FEMA a critical indicator of the severity of the power grid failure and infrastructure breakdown across the state

And most recently, during Hurricane Helene, Waffle Houses across Florida’s Big Bend and inland areas hit "red" as the storm devastated the region, signaling the need for urgent relief efforts.

American water

I won’t dwell on the history and logistics of the Waffle House Index. Every time there’s a major hurricane, the news media is flooded with stories about it.

Instead, let’s consider the deeply American cohesion of a federal agency and a chain breakfast joint.

The dynamic is familiar: private and public sectors, industry and state, a corporation working alongside a government agency. In the wake of Helene and FEMA’s disastrous response, snarky memes flooded social media, insisting that Waffle House outperforms FEMA.

This is silly. Waffle House is not more prepared and equipped than FEMA. But that’s also the wrong comparison to make. The relationship is closer to the dynamic between local and federal. Waffle House is more American because it’s so personal and real. FEMA is more American in its budget, structure, and enormity. America is a beast with the wild heart of a high school dropout.

A symbol of recovery

Waffle House’s ability to remain open during disasters is due to its robust disaster preparedness. Each location has a crisis management plan, pre-stocked supplies, and emergency teams on standby. This level of preparation sets Waffle House apart as a symbol of community resilience during crises.

The faster a Waffle House reopens, the more resilient the area is. When a storm passes and you smell those hash browns frying again, it’s not just a diner reopening — it’s a sign that things are getting better.

After a few days of eating MREs, Waffle House is practically gourmet — warm food, shared with lines of fellow survivors.

In America, victory over nature is often celebrated with a greasy plate of eggs and hash browns. What could be more fitting?

Viral video shows Waffle House employee flawlessly defend herself from chair attack in Christmas Day brawl



A viral video out of Texas shows a Waffle House employee defending herself during a violent brawl on Christmas Day, after a chair was thrown at her head.

The three-second video shows a Waffle House employee in Austin defending herself from an attack by a patron who threw a chair at her head. The Waffle House employee somehow managed to evade the chair attack, which garnered praise from the online community.

The viral video was posted to Twitter by musician and actor Mekka Don on Wednesday morning.

Don wrote, "She needs to be the lead in the next action film. Waffle House job training is off the chain."

He added, "An underrated part of this video is the other employee quickly ducking when the chair was thrown. You have to be able to do stunts to work at Waffle House."

At the time of publication, the viral video had been viewed more than 5 million times and retweeted nearly 13,000 times.

Police responded to the disturbance at the Waffle House on Eatonton Road.

\u201cShe needs to be the lead in the next action film. Waffle House job training is off the chain \ud83d\ude2b\ud83d\ude2b\u201d
— Mekka Don (@Mekka Don) 1672167151

The Madison Police Department and Morgan County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Alexis Shaianne Smith, 27, and Roderick Ramone Brown, 35, for disorderly conduct after they allegedly threatened a Waffle House employee.

Brown and Smith were transported to the Morgan County Detention Center and booked into the local jail.

The Morgan County Citizen reported, "When officers arrived, reports state, they observed several persons outside the restaurant 'yelling.' Brown told officers that he had placed a to-go order and when he was given his order, he stated that the food in the order did not correspond to what he had requested."

Brown allegedly told law enforcement that he engaged in a verbal argument with the female Waffle House employee. Brown was reportedly offered a refund before the Waffle House fight.

The police report said that Smith was "acting belligerent" during the incident at the Waffle House in Texas. Police claimed that there were several children at the Waffle House during the Christmas Day brawl.

Storm severity index reaches CODE RED for Hurricane Ian: Waffle House locations are closing



An unofficial indicator of storm severity has gone CODE RED as Hurricane Ian barrels into southwest Florida at Category 4 strength.

At least 21 Waffle House locations in Florida have closed, the restaurant chain's public relations chief told news outlets Wednesday morning, representing the serious danger of catastrophic weather conditions Floridians face.

For the uninitiated, Waffle House is a popular food franchise with locations in 25 states, mostly in the South. The restaurant serves waffles, obviously, as well as hashbrowns and other diner fare cooked to order in an open kitchen in view of the customers. It's best known for being an all-night eatery, open 24 hours, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

So when Waffle House is closed, it's a big deal. Such a big deal that former Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Craig Fugate coined the term "Waffle House Index" to evaluate the effect of a storm and the need for disaster preparedness.

\u201cY\u2019all @WaffleHouse is closed this is not a drill\u2026. #justfloridathings #HurricaneIan\u201d
— Justin Hobbs (@Justin Hobbs) 1664316563

The index has three levels based on the extent of operations and services offered by Waffle House during inclement weather. GREEN means the restaurant has power and is offering a full menu. YELLOW means there is a limited menu and no power or only power from a generator, with food supplies running low. RED means the restaurant is closed, which indicates severe storm damage or dangerous flooding.

On Wednesday morning, more than a dozen locations were closed from Naples stretching north along the Gulf of Mexico coastline to Bradenton in Manatee County, USA Today reported.

"We do have closures in mandatory evacuation zones and areas within low-lying areas that are subject to severe flooding," Waffle House Vice President of Public Relations Njeri Boss said Wednesday morning.

Boss said the restaurant is working with local governments and emergency responders to evaluate whether to close Waffle House locations.

"We constantly track storms during hurricane season, following their progress when there is an indication they might make landfall or deliver significant storm conditions," she told USA Today.

FEMA also uses Waffle House operations, as well as companies like Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowe's to measure disaster recovery.

"Businesses in communities are often some of the biggest drivers of recovery. If stores can open, people can go back to work. If people can go back to work, they can return to at least one piece of a normal life — and that little piece of normalcy can make a big difference," FEMA wrote in a 2017 blog post.

"If a store like a Home Depot or a Lowe’s or your local hardware store can open, that means people can get the supplies they need in order to rebuild, to clean up the muck and progress along the path to recovery," the agency said.

Closed Waffle House restaurants mean Florida should brace for a devastating storm. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced at 1:54 p.m. that Hurricane Ian was making landfall and that the state was ready to respond.

"We have fleets of highwater vehicles, 42,000 linemen, 7,000 National Guardsmen and 179 aircraft prepared to help," the governor tweeted.

Images shared on social media show that flooding has begun in Ft. Myers, where storm surges are predicted to reach up to 16 feet along the coast.

\u201cImages capture flooding in Ft. Myers, Florida, as Hurricane Ian bears down on the state as a powerful Category 4 storm. https://t.co/OgCURVn1Qb\u201d
— ABC News (@ABC News) 1664389212

More than 450,000 Florida customers have already lost power.

Man attacks complete stranger with machete, slicing her repeatedly in Daytona Beach Waffle House



Police in Daytona Beach, Florida, have arrested a man who carried out a gruesome attack on a complete stranger in a Waffle House last week, allegedly slicing her repeatedly with a machete.

Pierre Kendrick, 34, is now charged with attempted first-degree murder for the heinous assault, which was captured by the restaurant's security footage, WOFL-TV reported.

Man arrested in brutal machete attack of woman at Daytona Beach Waffle House, police say www.youtube.com

On Feb. 24, at approximately 4 a.m., Kendrick allegedly entered the restaurant located on Seabreeze Boulevard and approached the woman, who was sitting in a booth, according to an incident report filed by police.

Police said surveillance video showed Kendrick talking with the woman while the pair sat at a booth before he briefly got up to talk to others at the restaurant.

Kendrick then returned to the booth where the woman was sitting, pulled out a machete from his pants, and attacked the woman without warning. He reportedly struck the woman repeatedly with the weapon.

A witness at the restaurant allegedly heard the woman screaming and saw the suspect "slicing the victim with a machete," WESH-TV reported.

The woman reportedly managed to escape the situation by jumping over the counter and running out of the rear of the restaurant. She then ran to a hotel where she called the police and told them she was the victim of a stabbing attack by an individual she did not know.

The woman was later taken to a hospital for treatment of her injuries. Kendrick fled the scene in a "newer model" red SUV.

UPDATE (02/28/2022): We have identified the person we were looking for in this case. Our thanks to those who reached out to assist. It's appreciated.https://twitter.com/DaytonaBchPD/status/1497315791099899906\u00a0\u2026
— Daytona Beach Police (@Daytona Beach Police) 1646063790

To seek the community's help identifying Kendrick, Daytona Beach police released snippets from the restaurant's security footage that showed him entering the restaurant and mingling with customers. Full video of the attack has not been released.

Kendrick was reportedly arrested and taken into custody on Sunday and had his first court appearance on Monday. In court, a judge set his bond for $75,000 and ordered that he have no contact with the victim.

"If you bond out, you shall not possess any firearms or ammunition. Additionally, you would surrender any firearms to law enforcement," the judge said.

Kendrick also faces several other drug and weapons charges, WOFL reported.

BEWARE: The Delta Variant! | 6/23/21

BEWARE: The Delta Variant! | 6/23/21

Man live-tweets epic saga of surviving 15-hour purgatory in Waffle House as punishment for fantasy football loss



Fantasy Football punishments for coming in last have gotten creative in recent years, including grown adults being forced to take the ACT standardized test used for college admissions and having to pose nearly nude in photo shoots for a calendar that was presented to the league's other owners. One fantasy football loser chronicled his punishment for finishing last in his league – spend 24 hours in a Waffle House in Mississippi.

Journalist Lee Sanderlin was sentenced to 24 hours in a Waffle House as part of his punishment for losing his fantasy football league. There was one saving grace, Sanderlin could shave an hour off his 24-hour penance for every waffle he consumed. What sounded like a boon ended up being a poisoned chalice as the fantasy football loser ate a diabetes-inducing amount of waffles.

On Thursday afternoon, Sanderlin kicked off his live-tweeting of his journey that would be full of carbohydrates, regret, and intestinal pain.

"I am coming to you live from a Brandon, Mississippi Waffle House. I, a total loser, came in last place in my fantasy football league," Sanderlin wrote on Twitter before ordering his first two waffles. "As punishment, I spend 24 hours in a Waffle House. Every waffle I eat shaves an hour off the clock. It's 4:07 Central."

I got some books, some magazines and some podcasts. And two waffles to start.

— Lee Sanderlin (@LeeOSanderlin) 1623964092.0

2 down. That means two hours down. 21.37 hours left roughly. Already my stomach is rumbling. Gonna be a long one.… https://t.co/eWiLv9cHeZ

— Lee Sanderlin (@LeeOSanderlin) 1623965094.0

Within an hour and a half into his carbohydrate castigation, Sanderlin managed to consume four waffles, which left him feeling "immense discomfort" and "dead on the inside," but he cut four hours off his Waffle House punishment.

Four waffles down. Been here for 1.5 hours, so that means I have 18.5 to go. I am already in immense discomfort. Pl… https://t.co/h348synoaZ

— Lee Sanderlin (@LeeOSanderlin) 1623969596.0

The now-viral tweets show that Sanderlin was feeling defeated, but then sprung to life and ordered a fifth waffle thanks to someone using the restaurant's digital jukebox to play the motivational "Eye of the Tiger," Survivor's 1982 hit song and soundtrack to the "Rocky III" training montage.

And now it’s Hotel California. How fitting. I can check out any time I want, but I can never leave (yes I can in 17 hours)

— Lee Sanderlin (@LeeOSanderlin) 1623970881.0

waffle number 5. Just hit the 2,000 calorie mark and feeling grrrrrreat https://t.co/D9nltPbKJX

— Lee Sanderlin (@LeeOSanderlin) 1623972809.0

It wasn't even three hours into his Waffle House saga that he started asking his Twitter followers for thoughts and prayers. People on Twitter were "pulling" for Sanderlin to triumph over the waffles.

7:07 CT. 3 hours, 4.75 waffles down. So many hours to go

— Lee Sanderlin (@LeeOSanderlin) 1623974879.0

Mr. Chillups sir with your support I’m gonna order that 6th waffle https://t.co/cTWi0Wp9Jk

— Lee Sanderlin (@LeeOSanderlin) 1623977794.0

"Y'all they're going down like cement now, and the heart is beating real heavy-like. I'm the only non-employee in here," Sanderlin tweeted. "Got half of waffle 6 left and so many hours."

Y’all they’re going down like cement now, and the heart is beating real heavy-like. I’m the only non-employee in he… https://t.co/NeqhLzVyg3

— Lee Sanderlin (@LeeOSanderlin) 1623979712.0

With plenty of time on his hands, Sanderlin posted his fantasy football roster that got him into this predicament in the first place, which only made him want to puke.

Obviously, that’s why I’m going on hour 6 in a waffle house my man. If I could finish this cold, concrete ass waffl… https://t.co/2b6QxLU0Tr

— Lee Sanderlin (@LeeOSanderlin) 1623984511.0

After eating the sixth waffle, Sanderlin looks like he's developing heart disease in real-time. Eating the waffles becomes a Kobayashi Maru for the young man; it takes away an hour but is also rapidly changing his blood type to maple syrup.

Quick little trip to the bushes outside if you know what I’m saying. Now, back into the breach https://t.co/gwGvvUkeE1

— Lee Sanderlin (@LeeOSanderlin) 1623987018.0

Hahaha remember when I ordered a 7th waffle? Full crash and burn. Not gonna finish it. My body is in revolt/shuttin… https://t.co/EQL8m7XkFN

— Lee Sanderlin (@LeeOSanderlin) 1623992548.0

Sanderlin, who is an investigative reporter for the Clarion Ledger, quickly finds out that nothing good happens at the Waffle House at 1 a.m.

We’ve entered peak boredom hours. All the staff went out for their smoke breaks. This Waffle House doesn’t feel lik… https://t.co/IuGAycqPXI

— Lee Sanderlin (@LeeOSanderlin) 1623998881.0

Sanderlin makes an early morning rally, and attempts to eat two more waffles. The suspense and Sanderlin's BMI increase.

Let’s do it https://t.co/FN0CBsrijn

— Lee Sanderlin (@LeeOSanderlin) 1624014553.0

All that stands between me and going home in the next 30 minutes. So damn close. https://t.co/2EgD4Dajdv

— Lee Sanderlin (@LeeOSanderlin) 1624015614.0

After nine waffles and 15 hours in Waffle House purgatory, Lee Sanderlin did the unthinkable. Mission accomplished. Fantasy football punishment successfully satisfied.

The 25-year-old gave sage advice to all his adoring fans, "I recommend absolutely no one do this."

Waffle House CEO unloads on lockdowns and politicians who implement them: 'Not paying the same price'



Waffle House CEO Walt Ehmer did not mince words last week when he denounced coronavirus-related lockdowns and the leaders who implement the business-killing restrictions.

Speaking with Business Insider, Ehmer explained that he opposes lockdowns because of the severe impact they have on American workers.

"A lockdown is going to put a lot of people out of work," Ehmer said. "It's really not about the business — it's about the people. These people have jobs, they have livelihoods, they need to take care of their families."

Waffle House CEO Walt Ehmer. (Jason Davis/Getty Images)

In fact, Ehmer pointed out that leaders who implement lockdowns, putting Americans out of work and creating more economic instability for those who are already not affluent, never have to feel the impact of their decisions.

"None of the people who make the decisions to shut down businesses and impact people's livelihoods ever have their own livelihood impacted," he said. "The people making the decisions are not paying the same price that the workers in this country are paying."

How has Waffle House fared?

The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly impacted every segment of society; every person and business has been affected in some way. But Waffle House, the breakfast food restaurant chain spread across the eastern U.S., appears to have fared better than most.

Ehmer told Business Insider that there has not been a single documented case of COVID-19 spreading inside any Waffle House location.

"While the virus is surging in terms of number of cases, we haven't felt a tremendous impact to the business at this point," Ehmer explained.

In fact, fewer than two dozen Waffle Houses are currently closed due to the pandemic, and Ehmer said those restaurants are only closed because of government mandates. "The only reason we think that we would shut a dining room down at this point is if the local government made us do so," he said.

Unfortunately, however, the National Restaurant Association said in September that 100,000 American restaurants have shuttered their doors since the pandemic began. The organization also estimated that restaurants will have lost nearly one-quarter trillion dollars in revenue by year's end.

What about stimulus?

Politicians believe that additional economic stimulus will help businesses fare the the economic rollercoaster of the pandemic.

But Ehmer warned that government stimulus is only a band-aid.

"The stimulus helped a lot of restaurants and more importantly a lot of people early on. But, what you can't value enough is someone's peace of mind and security that they have a job that they can count on," Ehmer said. "Governments can't replace all of the salaries in the economy that you want to shut down. We've got to find safe ways to move forward."