Waffle House is closing locations in Tampa ahead of Hurricane Milton, citing the Waffle House Index

Waffle House said Tuesday that it had closed its Tampa-area locations ahead of Hurricane Milton’s expected landfall, citing the so-called Waffle House Index as a measure of the storm’s severity.

“Our #whindex status maps reflect our closures from 2pm today in the lead up to #HurricaneMilton. More updates to follow. Please stay safe,” Waffle House wrote in a social media post on X on Tuesday afternoon.

Waffle House updated its map Wednesday afternoon to reflect the closure of additional locations, including restaurants in Lakeland and Naples, Florida.

Since Wednesday morning Hurricane Milton The National Hurricane Center said late Wednesday or early Thursday that the storm was sweeping the Gulf of Mexico as a “Category 5 catastrophic storm” and was on track to make landfall along Florida’s central west coast, including the Tampa area to meet. The hurricane fell into a Category 4 storm later on Wednesday.

When measuring the severity of a storm, the Waffle House Index has become a reliable indicator of whether a hurricane or other natural disaster is likely to cause significant damage. The 1,600-restaurant chain notes that its locations are spread primarily across southern states and the Gulf Coast, making them particularly vulnerable to hurricanes. Still, she strives to keep it open through all weather events.

If a Waffle House stays open in town, even with limited capacity, neighbors can rest assured that the coming storm is unlikely to wreak havoc. A closed location of the reliable restaurant chain indicates impending disaster.

Waffle House’s Tuesday post showed a Waffle House Index map of more than two dozen Florida restaurants closed due to the storm, with locations ranging from Tampa, St. Petersburg, Ft. Myers and Bradenton.

What is the Waffle House Index?

The Waffle House Index was conceived in 2004 by Craig Fugate, former administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Fugate was looking for something to eat while surveying the devastation caused by Hurricane Charley and could only find a Waffle House serving on a limited menu.

This resilience made the status of Waffle House locations a useful indicator of the severity of a storm and the immediate needs of the affected area.

His team noticed other open Waffle Houses in communities without electricity or running water. The restaurants eventually became a key feature on a color-coded map his team provided to help the public and local authorities figure out where storm damage was most severe.

Green means the location is serving a full meal, indicating minimal damage to the area – the lights are on and the syrup is flowing.

Yellow means the restaurant serves a limited menu. This is a sign that it is drawing power from a generator and there may be little food available. While there is no running water or electricity in the area, there is enough gas to fry bacon for hungry customers.

Red means the location is closed, a sign of unsafe operating conditions and severe destruction in the restaurant or surrounding communities.

What does the index say about Hurricane Milton?

Waffle House’s closure of Tampa-area locations suggests damage from Hurricane Milton is likely to be severe.

Milton was re-rated to a Category 5 storm Tuesday as it headed toward Florida’s west coast. The powerful storm could hit Tampa and St. Petersburg directly once in a century, inundating the populous region with massive storm surges and turning debris from Helene’s devastation into projectiles.

contributed to this report.