FEMA’s “Waffle House Index” Aids Moore, Oklahoma Tornado Recovery

FEMA has a "Waffle House Index" it uses to analyze tornado aftermaths.  It's an informal system that can help FEMA understand the scale of a disaster. 

Waffle House is a quick-service restaurant chain that's common (and beloved) in tornado-prone areas, serving up Southern breakfast favorites 24/7.... except, of course, in the wake of natural disasters like the tornado that destroyed Moore, Oklahoma this week.

Waffle House has a systematic emergency plan that can be a good index for FEMA to use. The yellow Waffle House sign is an iconic marker throughout most of the Midwest. When disaster management crews come to aid in the aftermath of natural disasters like tornadoes, they often sit down to eat there - if they're open. For example, if the Waffle House in question is open as normal serving a full menu, the disaster is classified as "green."

Moore, Oklahoma only has one Waffle House. It was closed Tuesday. Still, it was classified as a yellow on the index because the building itself had weathered the storm. All they needed was a generator. Kelly Thrasher, a spokeswoman for Waffle House, said "Power is out and there is no gas or water but we do not have any physical damage. We are trying to get it open so we can serve first responders and the community," Thrasher told press.

"We are hoping to get a generator," she said. "Once we have the generator, we will be able to serve a limited menu, maybe a full one."

Craig Fugate, the head of FEMA, thought up the index. If the Waffle House has an emergency generator and a limited menu, the area is declared as yellow on the index. And if it's shuttered altogether or the building is badly damaged or destroyed, the disaster is red.

During Hurricane Katrina, most of New Orleans was scattered with shuttered Waffle Houses. Katrina forced the company to close 100 restaurants. Seven were totally flattened and a few others had severe building damage. But extraordinarily, within a day, 60 were reopened.  

Waffle House has been praised for the speed with which it responds to disasters.  Fugate says it humanizes and describes the impact of disasters. During Katrina, officials arriving to find closed Waffle Houses after Katrina was shocking and made them fully realize the hurricane's disastrous impact.

"If you get there and the Waffle House is closed? That's really bad," Fugate said.

As time goes on, FEMA will aid in the rebuilding of Moore and all of Oklahoma following the massive tornado that struck the state on Monday. Fugate has been sent to the area by President Obama, who has pledged that FEMA will send all the aid necessary.

The tornado, which was two miles wide, left hundreds injured and at least 24 dead, at least nine of whom are children. A hospital and two schools were flattened by the tornado. The worst-hit area was Moore, a suburb of Oklahoma City. A tornado was on the ground for about 40 minutes. Rescue workers using equipment like dogs and thermal imaging devices continue to frantically look through rubble and destroyed buildings for survivors.