Secret weapon in responding to natural disasters

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When mother nature strikes like tornadoes -- And hurricanes.

All hands are on -- local state and federal officials.

In Washington the Federal Emergency Management Agency has a tough challenge figuring out how to respondent.

And you might be surprised by how the agency doesn't.

The iconic 24 hour -- Waffle House plays a pivotal role -- how authorities determine the game plan if the Waffle House is open.

After the -- today.

Then that means there's power in their water if the Waffle House is closed.

Things are pretty bad.

Unofficially it's called the Waffle House index.

FEMA -- -- restaurants and impacted areas to find out if they're open in serving up their menus staples like on -- -- hash browns.

A full menu means the store has power and little to no damage -- limited menu means they are running on a generator.

And at the Waffle House is closed that's usually a sign things are pretty -- If we're able to get back opened things -- might be bad but they're not horrible but if if we don't happen to be.

Able we do business than that must be a sign that the that the community -- -- really -- check.

-- uses the so called Waffle House index along with other more scientific methods.

But it's especially helpful here in the south where tornadoes and hurricanes -- in dual threat and -- waffle houses many locations.

Can help -- -- response teams like americorps.

-- learn from our long history and responding to disasters across the country from.

Forest fires to -- -- to tornadoes.

That the first few hours the first few days are very critical.

FEMA director Craig -- came up with a Waffle House index while working for the state of Florida and has expanded -- since joining the Obama administration to include other businesses like Wal-Mart Home Depot and lows after disasters -- Waffle House also responds by doing what it does best.

Feeding hungry customers.

After many of the storms.

-- it's very often will hear.

For folks this is the first cup mile and a week in Jackson Mississippi I'm here attending Fox News.

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Secret weapon in responding to natural disasters

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