Coined by FEMA administrator Craig Fugate in the wake of 2004's Hurricane Charley, the Waffle House Index is used to ascertain the scale of a natural disaster, as well as the level of response required.

The branches of restaurant chain Waffle House have a reputation for often being the last businesses to shut when calamity strikes – meaning that the more closed Waffle Houses there are, the more severe the situation tends to be.

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