What is the Waffle House Index and how is it used during severe weather?

Waffle House restaurants have a reputation for staying open during extreme weather — and for reopening quickly after being forced to close due to severe storms.The restaurant chain, which is usually open 24 hours a day every day of the year, often offers food and beverages to emergency crews and individuals riding out storms.Waffle House's reputation has even gained the attention of the Federal Emergency Management Agency which has historically used an unofficial "Waffle House Index" to help assess the severity of a storm. More than 20 Waffle House restaurants in Florida closed as extreme weather from Hurricane Ian approached this week. The storm made landfall just north of Fort Myers Wednesday afternoon."We actually have a storm playbook that every restaurant has. We revise it each year as needed. And it tells the management team what to do in the event of an emergency," said Njeri Boss, Vice President of Public Relations for Waffle House.The restaurant has menus for times when they are without water, electricity, or even gas. The Waffle House Index has three levels:GREEN: Full menu; the restaurant sustained little or no damage and has full powerYELLOW: Limited menu; the restaurant is running out of food or has limited powerRED: The Waffle House is closed completely Waffle House has over 2,000 locations in the United States.