Hurricane Florence: The Waffle House Storm Center is open

Hurricane Florence continues on its way to the east coast of the United States and is expected to sweep the Carolinas until Saturday. And that means one thing: Waffle House has its Storm Center operational, overseeing and overseeing the passage of Hurricane Florence.

The@Waffle restaurantStorm Center is activated and monitored #Florence. Plan ahead and be safe. pic.twitter.com/UOBi5oZRRi

– Waffle House News (@WaffleHouseNews) September 11, 2018

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You may be wondering why Waffle House is in the world of disaster management? The Norcross, Georgia-based chain maintains nearly every 2,100 sites open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, regardless of weather forecasts. This includes staying open during natural disasters such as Hurricane Florence.

The level of operation of a Waffle House is an important indicator of a community's success. In fact, the indicator is so important that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has established a "waffle index" following the devastating 2011 tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri.

The Waffle House Index maps locations that operate normally or partially, and those that are closed. The pleasantly simple index is also color-coded:

• A green index means that a waffle house is open and offers a full menu.
• A yellow index means that a waffle house is open but offering a limited menu.
• A red index means that a Waffle House was forced to close.

"If a waffle maker can serve a full menu, they probably have power (or run on a generator). A limited menu means that an area may not have running water or electricity, but there is gas for the stove to produce bacon, eggs and coffee: The logic is that the more the Waffle House can return to the network quickly, the more the number of local institutions, including banks, grocery stores and post offices, can start working again.

And already, a Waffle House in South Carolina has turned red on the current Waffle House Index. The Myrtle Beach Waffle House has completely shut down until the hurricane passes.