Within the wake of Hurricane Milton, which made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast with devastating winds and flooding, emergency responders are working to evaluate the harm. One unconventional however, some argue, efficient software for gauging the state of affairs is the “Waffle Home Index,” a metric utilized by the Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA) to guage the severity of storms and information catastrophe restoration efforts.
Named after the resilient Southern restaurant chain, the Waffle Home Index has, prior to now, confirmed helpful in post-storm assessments and will now play a task within the restoration course of following Hurricane Milton.
Riley Walz has created what’s the first map to trace the “Waffle Home Index” in real-time. His Waffle Home Index map at present exhibits that 106 Waffle Home eating places are closed in Florida. Waffle Home, which operates extensively throughout the southern U.S. the place hurricanes are frequent, has developed robust danger administration and catastrophe preparedness methods. The chain is understood for staying operational throughout excessive climate and shortly reopening, usually with a restricted menu, after main storms like Hurricane Milton.
Dan Stoneking, FEMA’s director of exterior affairs, explains:
“The Waffle Home check does not simply inform us how shortly a enterprise would possibly rebound – it additionally tells us how the bigger neighborhood is faring. The earlier eating places, grocery shops, and banks can reopen, the earlier native economies will begin producing income once more – signaling a stronger restoration for that neighborhood.”
The Waffle Home Index map can subsequently function a great tool for assessing which areas in Florida are struggling to get well from Hurricane Milton, if used alongside a broader restoration technique.
