The Waffle House Index is a uniquely American hurricane damage assessment tool

The Waffle House Index is a fine example of a low-tech solution to a real-time data analysis problem that’s been around for as long as people have. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has informally employed a green/yellow/red system of situational reporting from Waffle House employees in order to determine the extent to which a local community functions after an emergency. Apparently, the Waffle House Index is a real thing. One journalist went through a lot of trouble tracking