When folks can’t come in for bacon or hashbrowns, they know the weather is bad. Waffle House is almost always open. The “Waffle House Index” helps people see where the worst weather is.

Waffle House is known for serving breakfast 24 hours each day. But it’s also known for disaster preparedness. The local Waffle House is often the only business open during most storms.

As Hurricane Milton neared Florida on Wednesday, many restaurants along the Gulf Coast closed.

Craig Fugate used to work for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). That agency helps people recover after disasters.  He came up with the Waffle House Index in 2004. His team helped clean up after Hurricane Charley. Mr. Fugate searched for something to eat. He found only a Waffle House open.

His team began to notice other open Waffle Houses in places without power or running water. The map of Waffle Houses that Mr. Fugate created helped people see which areas had the most damage.

Waffle House’s social media accounts share color-coded maps of restaurant locations. Some show areas that might get hit by severe weather. Others show places recovering from storms. 

A green mark means a full menu. The lights are on. The syrup is flowing.

Yellow means the restaurant is pulling power from a generator. It might have a low food supply. There’s just enough gas to fry bacon.

Red means the location is closed. That’s a sign the area is in rough shape. 

Waffle House uses its storm readiness as a business strategy. It can stay open and serve customers even in bad weather. The chain bought generators. It runs a storm center. The company trains workers on what they can serve if electricity goes out.

Before Hurricane Milton made landfall, most restaurants closed along the Gulf Coast. But on the Waffle House Index, about 10 locations were still marked in green.