Waffle House Index

proper noun

An informal metric used to determine the impact of a storm in terms of disaster recovery, based on whether local Waffle House restaurants are open and serving a full menu.

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Meanings

proper nounthe Waffle House Index
  1. USAn informal metric used to determine the impact of a storm in terms of disaster recovery, based on whether local Waffle House restaurants are open and serving a full menu.

Origin

Coined by FEMA administrator Craig Fugate in May 2011, following the 2011 Joplin tornado.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Waffle House Index. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Waffle%20House%20Index

MLA

“Waffle House Index.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Waffle%20House%20Index. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Waffle House Index,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Waffle%20House%20Index.

Source: Waffle House Index on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.