Florida Waffle House Index Goes Red As Gulf Braces for Milton

For those who base their perception of how severe a hurricane is on the "Waffle House Index," this is for you.

Waffle House has officially put out a map of its stores that are currently closed along the Gulf Coast of Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton's landfall overnight. The restaurant chain shared the images on X, formerly known as Twitter.

As of Wednesday, October 9, at 4 p.m., every Waffle House in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Lakeland, Ocala, Daytona, and the surrounding metropolitan area of Tampa Bay is closed. Also closed are all of the Waffle House locations spanning from Fort Myers down to Cape Coral.

But what exactly is this "Waffle House Index" we're speaking of?

A huge group of storm chasers and weather aficionados use the amount of Waffle House restaurants that are closed on a map that is released by Waffle House as a metric to measure how bad a storm will be. "If one closes by you, you know shit is real," explains a New Times staff writer. Another staffer agrees, saying, "Yep, Waffle House will remain open in most storms if it is safe to do so. Therefore, if a waffle house closes, run for the hills!"

These updated #whindex status maps reflect our closures as of 2PM this afternoon in advance of #HurricaneMilton. Please stay safe.

***Due to the potential for variations in Milton's path, this information is subject to change without notice. Please follow local guidance. pic.twitter.com/vqV3RO5KT4

— Waffle House (@WaffleHouse) October 9, 2024

The Waffle House Index: A Cheat Code Even Respected by FEMA

Waffle House has one of the best disaster response teams in the country and will very quickly have restaurants up and running after a major storm — if they even close at all. The restaurant has built a marketing strategy around the goodwill gained from being open when customers are most desperate, including during hurricanes.

Many storm chasers and residents who suffer from natural disasters are known to go to their local Waffle House to get food and warmth at any time of the day or night.

Since the Waffle House Index (also known as "#whindex") is very red this week in Florida, those who follow along are quite alarmed.

"Green means the restaurant is serving a full menu, a signal that damage in an area is limited and the lights are on. Yellow means a limited menu, indicating power from a generator, at best, and low food supplies. Red means the restaurant is closed, a sign of severe damage in the area or unsafe conditions," explains Waffle House.

“If you get there and the Waffle House is closed? “That’s really bad. That’s where you go to work," FEMA administrator Craig Fugate has said.

"During Hurricane Irene, Waffle House lost power to 22 restaurants in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. By Wednesday evening, all but one in hard-hit coastal Virginia were back in business," explains the restaurant.

Floridians Are Shocked Over The Closures - And Photos Go Viral

A Reddit user posted a photo in the /rFlorida group of the entrance to an area Waffle House along the Gulf Coast of Florida that appears to have a sign that reads, "Closed. Sorry." with the drawing of sad face.

Reddit users quickly took to the post to comment how unusual this sight is to see. One wrote, "The fact that they have to make a "closed" sign because they never close..."

Another wrote, "Yep. That's about right. Waffle House is closed? We're fucked."

Others agreed, writing, "This actually is a huge indicator of danger."

You know it’s bad when the Waffle House closes
byu/JorgeHeathen inflorida

As of Wednesday evening, all Waffle House restaurants in South Florida remained open. However, it is always best to call ahead.

Knowing Waffle House, the Waffle House Index map will hopefully be filled with green by Friday.