Waffle House Hurricane Response team..

Yes that is not a typo, Waffle house has a disaster plan that they put into place for every restaurant in a threatened area, Has anyone else heard of this before?

Yahoo news

One of the ways the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) measures hurricane damage is by the Waffle House Index. Waffle House, a popular 24-hour fast food chain in the Southeast, has a unique ability to operate solely on gas if necessary, so a closed Waffle House is often tantamount to disaster. And while we won’t know yet how Hurricane Harvey will fare on the index, the attitude at Waffle Houses across Texas has been calm. The company’s staff has been preparing for months. “We have our own special disaster teams and generators waiting to be shipped,” said one Waffle House employee in Galveston, Tex. “We’re open up until the city makes us close, probably later on tonight. As soon as it’s over we’ll be right back open.”

Seriously I am gobsmacked by this, it makes sense as they spell it out but how has this not been a headline before since so many companies, and people insist there is no reason to prepare for disaster.

eta: yes I see that they mention other articles but I am referring to a more main stream new coverage.

Over the years, FEMA administrator Craig Fugate noticed this phenomenon following hurricane damage and developed the Waffle House Index. “Green” is full menu, “yellow” is partial menu, and “red” means there may be no Waffle House left. “Waffle House stays on when the wind’s blowing—they never close,” Philip Strouse, FEMA’s Private Sector Liaison, told Yahoo Finance last year. “They have a small footprint, they’re easy, and if these little stores are going out when it only takes a few people to staff … that’s bad.”

I am just reading this and I cannot help but laugh, though at the same time because of their simplicity it is brilliant that some ceo saw the opportunities that this could bring.

Anyways I saw this and felt it had to be shared, just in case people missed it.

a reply to: Irishhaf

Yup,

I've read about this several times over the years.

Anyone have the number for the Wafflehouse in Corpus Christi? See if they're open.

a reply to: Irishhaf

A few years ago, when we lived in Alabama, the county we were in was hit by the biggest tornado outbreak in US history. We had something like 5 F-5s, and 13 total tornadoes come through. We didn't have power for something like a week. Except for the Waffle House. They were right back open as soon as it was clear and we had several hot meals there.

There's the shop locator. Doesn't seem to be one in Corpus Christi

locations.wafflehouse.com...

They seem to be dotted along the freeways and big cities. Shame they don't have little indicator colors to let you know the status.

I grew up in Florida, and I guess it never clicked in my head because everything was open till Cat 3 range even then some stuff would still be open.

As a teenage I worked at Bush Gardens in tampa, I remember going to work during a Cat 2 hurricane.

This still just cracks me up, but a the same time I am glad to see some companies have figured out how to make a positive impact as well as make some money.

Waffle House also supplies food to first responders and evacuees free of charge.

If a Waffle House is closed, you know it is TEOTWAWKI.

Nothing like a Waffle House. Toothless waitresses and great food.

a reply to: Edumakated

I have to disagree. I dated several of the waitresses from a Waffle House in Jacksonville. Smoking hot.

a reply to: Irishhaf

There are many corps nationwide involved equally in disaster preparedness
.
MS
1st Responder/EMT/ERT
FEMA/Dept of Homeland Security
Advanced Disaster Life Support

a reply to: Irishhaf

One of the ways the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) measures hurricane damage is by the Waffle House Index.

Amazing.

The Waffle House Index is an informal metric used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to determine the effect of a storm and the likely scale of assistance required for disaster recovery.[1]

"If you get there and the Waffle House is closed? That's really bad. That's when you go to work."[2]

The index has three levels, based on the extent of operations and service at the restaurant following a storm:[2][3]

GREEN: full menu - restaurant has power and damage is limited.
YELLOW: limited menu - no power or only power from a generator, or food supplies may be low.
RED: the restaurant is closed - indicating severe damage.

wiki

I see it now:

originally posted by: JIMC5499
a reply to: Edumakated

I have to disagree. I dated several of the waitresses from a Waffle House in Jacksonville. Smoking hot.

Sure that wasn't from standing next to the hot grill all day, sweating?

I don't even like their food or the way the stores look, but I am amazed this chain is that on the ready like that. That's wild.

a reply to: Liquesence

You got a lol outta me. Well played, well played indeed.

On topic: I'm quite amazed they are so prepared for disastrous eventualities like Harvey. Smart on them! For a restaurant chain I've always synonymized with banjo picking, dip spittin, hoedown throwin... i feel ignorant now

originally posted by: Liquesence

originally posted by: JIMC5499
a reply to: Edumakated

I have to disagree. I dated several of the waitresses from a Waffle House in Jacksonville. Smoking hot.

Sure that wasn't from standing next to the hot grill all day, sweating?

I hope that the coffee I blew on to my tablet from reading this doesn't short it out.
The one that I was referring to was near a Junior College and some of the girls were gorgeous .

a reply to: Irishhaf

That's awesome! If they aren't blown away, they re-open, and can serve food! Shame more businesses, and more people, don't prepare so well! Even the most basic preparations, such as stockpiling water and food, and needed meds, seem to escape a lot of folks in affected areas.

google says 31 wafflehouses in corpus christi...I don't know how many are open

originally posted by: watchitburn
a reply to: Irishhaf

Yup,

I've read about this several times over the years.

Anyone have the number for the Wafflehouse in Corpus Christi? See if they're open.

I've got Facebook friends who volunteer on the USS Lexington. Some of them stayed with the ship. They said that the power was out and there were some trees down. Other than that they are fine.

a reply to: JIMC5499

Rockport, where it came ashore, is pretty much gone.

The property and casualty insurance companies do exposure modeling based on years of experience adjusting property damage from major hurricanes. Usually takes a long time to get the claims settled in large storms like this because the insurance companies don't have sufficient reserves. There are larger reinsurance pools that the insurance companies can tap to get the claims paid. but it all takes time often months.

Meantime depending on the damage levels, the landfall areas can be uninhabitable similar to what happened in New Orleans with Katrina. You can't turn power back on because it starts fires where there are unreported gas leaks or damaged wiring in abandoned houses. If the insurance claims are not paid, you don't have money to pay the contractors to fix the houses.

Perhaps the FEMA people are talking with Trump about using the Corps of Engineers for a rebuild project?
Trump knows a lot about big real estate development projects which require financed construction.