Who coined the Waffle House Index after Hurricane Charley?

Craig Fugate coined the Waffle House Index after Hurricane Charley in August 2004.

Fugate was leading Florida’s Division of Emergency Management when the informal disaster metric was developed. It used the operating condition of Waffle House restaurants as a quick, practical signal of how severely a storm had affected an area. Because the chain is known for staying open during emergencies or reopening rapidly, its status can provide clues about power, roads, food supplies, and structural damage.

The scale is commonly summarized with three colors. Green means a restaurant is operating with its full menu, yellow means service is limited, and red means the restaurant is closed. Fugate is the single name most commonly credited with creating the index, although accounts also mention Tad Warfel and Ben Nelson in connection with its development.

The index is not an official scientific storm scale. It complements formal weather measurements such as wind speed and rainfall by focusing on local business operations and recovery conditions.