So, maybe you’ve seen a video or post talking about the “FEMA Waffle House Index” and wondered: “Is that even a real thing?” The short answer is yes. FEMA has a Waffle House Index that it uses to assess the severity of a natural disaster.
What is this index? How does it work? Why does FEMA track Waffle House closures, of all things?
Let’s go over the history of Waffle House and how it became the standard for FEMA to measure disasters by. First, let’s explain what FEMA and Waffle House are:
What Is FEMA?
FEMA is an acronym for Federal Emergency Management Agency, a government organization that is tasked with helping people before, during, and after major natural disasters and other large-scale emergencies.
The organization was officially created in 1979 by an executive order from President Jimmy Carter, though FEMA’s About page states that their “history can be traced back to 1803.”
FEMA became a part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in 2003.
Florida is part of “Region 4” of FEMA’s areas of responsibility, alongside Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
What Is Waffle House?
If you’re from Florida, you’re probably well-acquainted with Waffle House, either because the chain has 193 locations (Source: World Population Review) spread across roughly 33 municipalities. Tampa alone has seven locations, which means you’re likely to see at least one of them on any given trip through the city.
Waffle House was founded in 1955 by Joe Rogers and Tom Forkner, two veterans who were neighbors living in Avondale Estates, GA at the time (Source: Waffle House).
Tom Forkner, according to The Military Times, “joined the military and served in military intelligence and security based out of Oak Ridge, TN” and “eventually was sent to work on the infamous Manhattan Project, where he served until heading home and taking his place with his family’s real estate business.”
Joe Rogers Sr., on the other hand, was with the Army Air Corps and “trained to fly BT-9s, B-29s, AT-17s and B-24s” according to the Military Times article.
The military background of the founders can be found in just how thoroughly the business’ operations manual covers a wide range of situations. You can find an upload of the 302-page document online which includes standards and procedures for:
- Customer Service. Uniform requirements, appearance standards, and steps for excellent customer service, etc.
- Production Systems. Procedures for making food, how to handle multiple grill operators (who does what and when), food prep, packaging for to-go orders, etc.
- Controls. How to control food costs, auditing procedures, managing maintenance costs, cash & inventory control, etc.
- Marketing. How to handle marketing, what their marketing policies are, and “first mile” tools for new owners.
- How to Open a New Store. A laundry list of tasks and responsibilities for franchisees to follow when opening a new store or taking over an existing store.
- Purchasing & Product Information. A list of approved food products, non-food products, and cleaning products that Waffle House employees can use.
- Storage. Where to store food items, equipment, and other supplies.
- Food Safety. Hygiene practices designed to protect customers from food-borne illnesses.
- Maintenance. A list of preventative practices and checklists to follow to maintain the restaurant in peak condition.
- Cleaning & Sanitizing. Best practices and standards for cleaning the restaurant, including cleaning measures to be followed while preparing food.
- Safety, Security & Emergencies. A set of policies and procedures for ensuring store safety and security, plus plans for dealing with a variety of emergency situations.
Waffle House’s emergency procedures are incredibly robust. They detail an operational action plan for all kinds of emergency situations including:
- Employee deaths
- Fatal and non-fatal robberies
- Kidnapping/hostage situations
- Pandemics
- Major food-borne illness outbreaks
- Severe injuries to employees or customers
- PR disasters related to company leadership
- Major fires or explosions that shut down a Waffle House
- Natural disasters
- Product recalls
- Tragedies affecting Waffle House employee family members
- Criminal accusations against employees or management
- Media inquiries
- Electrical outages
- Gas outages (Waffle House ranges use gas)
- Water outages or water quality issues
Every Waffle House location has multiple levels of redundancy to keep the location operational in the face of all kinds of disastrous situations. If the power, gas lines, or water goes out, they can serve a modified menu that accounts for the inoperable cooking equipment.
In emergency situations that are predictable ahead of time, Waffle House will even stage employees and supplies at nearby locations to continue serving food for customers who may have been displaced from areas around closed restaurants. After the disaster, those supplies and employees can be redirected to help reopen and operate the closed location.
Very few things can force a Waffle House to close for more than a very short timeframe.
Why Is There a FEMA Waffle House Index?
Because of how robust Waffle House’s emergency planning and supply chain management is, FEMA officials started using the company as a means of gauging the severity of a disaster.
As noted in a Business Insider article: “The chain, whose restaurants are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, is famous for staying open during many natural disasters. When it closes, that suggests an especially bad event that is likely to have devastating effects on the economy.”
What Is the FEMA Waffle House Index?
The index tracks how many WH locations are open, closed, or on a limited menu during an emergency situation, denoted by a green, red, or yellow status indicator, respectively.
If a large number of Waffle House locations are closed following a disaster, then that serves as a strong indicator of severe, widespread devastation. If locations open back up quickly after the storm passes, that’s a strong indication that recovery for other businesses will also be relatively fast.
If the Waffle House in your neighborhood closes ahead of a hurricane, that’s a sign that you should probably evacuate as well!
Prepare Your Home For Hurricanes Like It’s a Waffle House!
One key takeaway from Waffle House’s extensive disaster planning and how quickly their locations bounce back from even major hurricanes is that preparation is key. While you might not have the resources to stage supplies for your family and neighbors at a secondary location just outside of a hurricane’s projected path, there are some things you can do to mirror the restaurant chain’s extraordinary preparedness:
- Keep an eye out for storm alerts
- Stockpile emergency supplies in your home
- Have a plan for evacuation ready
- Harden your home against hurricane-force winds
For that last bullet item, Karoly Windows & Doors is here to help! We specialize in installing impact windows and doors designed to stand up to extreme weather conditions.
Reach out today to learn more about how you can protect your home from the worst of a hurricane’s effects!
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