About the Waffle House Index

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The Waffle House Index is an informal metric used by FEMA to assess the severity of a disaster:

• Green (Open): Full menu available, minimal damage
• Yellow (Limited Menu): Power outage or limited supplies
• Red (Closed): Severe damage, unsafe conditions

Waffle House restaurants are known for their disaster preparedness with backup generators, stocked supplies, and trained staff, making closure a significant indicator of severity.

This app displays live Waffle House locations scraped from their official website. Use the lasso or rectangle tool (top-left) to select stores and explore details. Export selections as CSV.

Historical Note: During the COVID-19 pandemic, unprecedented Waffle House closures were documented via the Wayback Machine, marking one of the few times the chain closed locations en masse—a powerful indicator of the pandemic's severity.