The Waffle House Index, why TikTok removed 113M videos and more

You know the weather is bad when your local Waffle House closes.

The restaurant chain is known for rarely closing – even during natural disasters.

But not even scattered, smothered and covered hashbrowns can stand up to Hurricane Ian.

Waffle House officials said 35 locations are closed across the state as of Wednesday morning.

“We do have closures in mandatory evacuation zones and locations within low-lying areas that are subject to severe flooding,” Waffle House Vice President of Public Relations Njeri Boss told USA TODAY.

Waffle House closures are noted by FEMA, who watches the “Waffle House Index.” The informal system was created by a former director of the agency after a run of hurricanes in 2004.