Waffle House, the restaurant chain known for being open 24/7, is closing locations in Tallahassee, Fla., and its nearby Crawfordville location ahead of Hurricane Helene’s landfall Thursday evening.
The chain rarely closes — it’s open 365 days a year — so it’s notable when Waffle House restaurants shutter.
Years ago, a former local emergency manager in Florida created the “Waffle House Index.” USA Today explains: “As part of the index, Waffle House restaurants are ranked and marked with three different colors to signify conditions and let officials know where to deploy first responders and supplies during emergencies.”
The rankings mean:
People have come to follow the Waffle House Index to determine how bad a storm is. For example, if first responders cover an area and see a closed Waffle House marked red, that signifies an area is about to be hit by a storm, or needs help.
