When disaster strikes, FEMA turns to ... Waffle House

Fox News ^ | 5/2/12 | Garrett Tenney

[Slings and Arrows]

Waffle House serves hungry customers bacon, eggs and hash browns, but when disaster strikes, the iconic chain serves up valuable intel to the government.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has developed an unofficial, color-coded "Waffle House Index" to help make assessments before sending response teams to areas hit by such natural disasters as tornadoes, floods or hurricanes.

“When business like that are closed, that’s a good indication that resources are probably going to be needed for the survivors there in that area,” explained Will Booher of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management.

After a disaster, officials call a restaurant in the affected area, and ask what's on the menu. If the restaurant is serving everything, it means there is water and electricity and that the index is green. If the menu has been scaled back, the index is yellow, which means there's water but no power.

In the rare event a Waffle House is completely shut down, the index is red and that usually means there's big trouble.

[Slings and Arrows]

Thanks to Stoat for the article!

[Slings and Arrows]

"If you get there and the Waffle House is closed, or in the case of Mississippi on the coast, it's a slab, that's red," Fugate said.

You know it's bad when the restaurant is scattered, smothered, and covered!

[eyedigress]

No surprise. Bert’s Chili is older than all of us.

[dixiechick2000]

I’ve actually been to an area where, not only was Waffle House closed, but so was the Cracker Barrel!

Cracker Barrel because of a main water break, and Waffle House because of the Ole Miss/Alabama game. It was slammed!

;o)

[DemforBush]

I used to love to go to the Waffle House near campus when I was in college. Especially when I was pulling an all-nighter. Where else could I get a cup of hot tea and an order of fried cheese sticks at 3 am?

[Liberty Valance]

Waffle House?

[SunkenCiv]

I’m sure that FEMA does this syrup titiously.

Thanks Slings and Arrows.

[Daffynition]

These two look like *big trouble* to me. :)

[Theoria]

Waffle House mobile command center. Dunno if Fox is lazy or such, but almost the same exact story was reported last year.

[Slings and Arrows]

Truly we live in an age of wonders.

[Slings and Arrows]

Midnight pork chops...good times.

[Slings and Arrows]

One of them even looks like a girl.

[Slings and Arrows]

If they run it next year I’ll probably post it again.

[dixiechick2000]

Oh, yeah! Chops are best at midnight! So are breaded veal cutlets, but I don’t think that is on their menu.

Too bad Brownie isn’t at FEMA anymore. Given the chance, he might have tried to make amends for Katrina* by funding Denny’s Grand Slam trucks.

*Not Bush’s fault. lol

[PA Engineer]

Yep.

[Slings and Arrows]

Oolong RIP. He shall live forever on FR.

[familyop]

Ahah! So FEMA has decided that the Waffle House restaurants will be the concentration camps! It’s a conspiracy, I tell ya!

;-)

[Slings and Arrows]

I can’t believe it took 17 posts to get to that. ;^)

[Daffynition]

[Brandonmark]