“It’s an informal relationship,” Philip Strouse, FEMA’s Private Sector Liaison, told Yahoo Finance. “Waffle House stays on when the wind’s blowing—they never close. 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.”
According to Strouse, the very unofficial index all started when FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate was director of the Florida Emergency Management Division. Noticing Waffle House’s incredible resilience in the face of natural disaster, Fugate coined the index in May 2011 after the Joplin, Mo., tornado. “He was saying if the Waffle House closes, it’s really bad and you know to go to work there first.” So when he came to FEMA in 2009, Fugate brought his barometer to the new position.
Many people misunderstand how the index works, however—a fact that’s partially represented by the response to that Waffle House tweet on Wednesday and articles like this. As an emergency management agency, FEMA handles the aftermath more than the run-up, funneling federal assets to damaged areas that need it most. “We really support the state and the state supports the local community,” said Strouse.
This means you should pay closer attention to the index post-hurricane. “The index was for aftermath, for damage assessments,” said Strouse. The chain’s ability to function on essentially nothing also makes it a prime location for first responders, who know they can get something to eat—almost no matter what.
Look into things evenespecially if they sound silly or ridiculous. :)
Also it seems to indicate mistrust in the “simple facts” that even agencies like FEMA or NOAA get right (for the most part).
The US government botched the Katrina response, people were left for over a month to fend for themselves in a post-apocalyptic landscape. Many people haven’t forgotten that. I was gonna write I’m sure they learned, but it’s America, whether they learned from it or not is a coin flip.
I wouldn’t dismiss it so quickly. The term “Waffle House Index” was coined by the then future-administrator of FEMA.
Look into things
evenespecially if they sound silly or ridiculous. :)The US government botched the Katrina response, people were left for over a month to fend for themselves in a post-apocalyptic landscape. Many people haven’t forgotten that. I was gonna write I’m sure they learned, but it’s America, whether they learned from it or not is a coin flip.