NC Coronavirus: Waffle House Shuts 400-Plus Sites; 'Index' At Red

NORTH CAROLINA — Many Southerners, and even officials at Federal Emergency Management Agency, use the "Waffle House Index" to determine the severity of emergencies such as hurricanes — and now the spread of the new coronavirus.

On Wednesday, Waffle House announced it is closing 418 stores across the Southeast, moving the Index into the red zone. There are still 1,574 stores still open, the company said.

“Call your local Waffle House today for a carry-out order,” the business tweeted.

See more: NC’s First Coronavirus Death Reported In Charlotte Metro

FEMA said it uses companies such as Waffle House to see how quickly communities will be able to bounce back after emergencies due to its small chance of closing.

EHS Today — a magazine for environment, health and safety leaders — explained what the Waffle House Index is.

"If a Waffle House store is open and offering a full menu, the index is green. If it is open but serving from a limited menu, it's yellow. When the location has been forced to close, the index is red. Because Waffle House is well-prepared for disasters … it's rare for the index to hit red."

"In 2011, the current head of FEMA, administrator Craig Fugate, was said to have coined what's called the Waffle House Index. There are three measures in the index: green, yellow and red," Marketplace said. "Because Waffle Houses restaurants are in areas prone to hurricanes and tornadoes, the company has made it part of their business plan to be prepared, said Pat Warner, the vice president of culture at Waffle House."

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As of Wednesday, Waffle House, which typically operates 24 hours a day, tweeted it is in the red.

FEMA went on to say, "the Waffle House test doesn't just tell us how quickly a business might rebound — it also tells us how the larger community is faring. The sooner restaurants, grocery and corner stores, or banks can reopen, the sooner local economies will start generating revenue again — signaling a stronger recovery for that community. The success of the private sector in preparing for and weathering disasters is essential to a community's ability to recover in the long run."

As of Wednesday afternoon, there were at least 576 cases and two deaths reported in North Carolina, according to Johns Hopkins University, up from 297 positive cases reported Monday morning.

Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency for the entire state March 10. Since then, public schools throughout the state have been ordered closed through at least May 15, and Cooper has ordered a statewide ban on gatherings of more than 50 people and all dine-in service at restaurants and bars.

Globally, nearly 439,000 people have been infected and more than 19,600 people have died from the new coronavirus, Johns Hopkins reported Wednesday. Of that total, more than 55,200 confirmed cases are in the United States. At least 809 deaths in the U.S. have been tied to the virus outbreak, as of the morning of March 25.

Kathleen Sturgeon, Patch staff, contributed

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