TORONTO -- When the winds start raging and rain begins to pour, many Americans look to an unlikely breakfast chain as a benchmark to gauge the severity of the storm and how quickly the communities in its path will be able to recover in its wake.

The 鈥淲affle House Index鈥� has become a popular albeit unofficial barometer to determine the impact of an extreme weather event and the amount of disaster relief needed in a particular region.

The term was first coined by Craig Fugate, a former administrator for the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), shortly after the 2011 Joplin Tornado in Missouri.

Despite the catastrophic damage in Joplin, Mo., where thousands of homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed, the area鈥檚 two Waffle House restaurants remained open.

The long-standing breakfast chain, which has approximately 2,100 locations in 25 states, primarily in the southern U.S., is known for staying open 24-7 and for being among the first businesses to reopen after an emergency.

鈥淚f you get there and the Waffle House is closed?鈥� Fugate has been quoted as saying. 鈥淭hat's really bad. That's where you go to work.鈥�

During Hurricane Dorian in September 2019, Waffle House public relations director 鈥淥ur goal is always to be the last to close, first to open.鈥� 

In order to achieve that goal, Waffle House has in place so-called 鈥渏ump teams鈥� consisting of contractors, construction workers, food providers, and others who are prepared to respond to a location that is under threat of severe weather in order to keep it running.

Additionally, the affected restaurants will pare down their menus depending on the damage done to the location, which also serves as a helpful guide to see how badly the surrounding area was hit.

As a result, a colour-coded key was established based on the menu offerings at Waffle House restaurants.

  • Green: Full menu is available; the restaurant has sustained little to no damage and has full power
  • Yellow: Limited menu is offered; the restaurant may be running out of food and there could be limited power
  • Red: The restaurant is closed; there is likely severe damage or flooding in the region

While it may seem an unlikely way to gauge a disaster, the Waffle House Index has proven a useful indicator of how well a community is faring in the wake of a natural disaster. The restaurants have also become important havens to feed people who have lost their homes or first responders working in stricken areas.

In advance of an extreme weather event, a Waffle House location closing is a good sign to the public that a serious storm is on the way and they should follow government guidance, such as when to evacuate.

With Hurricane Laura expected to develop into a Category 4 storm when it makes landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday, people are already looking at the status of Waffle House locations in Texas and Louisiana, which are in the storm鈥檚 path.

Matthew Cappucci, a meteorologist for the Washington Post, in Port Arthur, Tex. has closed until at least Thursday or more likely Friday if they have power.

鈥淭he most creepy and sobering element of all this, the ever-present Waffle House sign 鈥� a beacon of hope in the middle of the night or anytime you need them 鈥� is dark right now,鈥� he reported on Wednesday.

CBS correspondent Mireya Villarreal, too, reported on the closure of another Waffle House location in Beaumont, Tex. in advance of the storm.

鈥淛ournalists can attest, if the Waffle House closes things are getting real serious,鈥� on Wednesday. 

With files from The Associated Press