I was in Gulfport/Biloxi MS on Search and Rescue after Katrina. It was overshadowed by New Orleans but the coast got hammered by storm surge.

I have a picture of a Waffle House leveled to the floor slab by storm surge. Yet it is still recognizable.

I use it in my public speaking about disaster response because it is familiar and more relatable to the audience. Sometimes, seeing collapsed or damaged buildings makes it hard to envision what they should have looked like. It helps to have something so familiar that people have a mental "before" picture to compare the "after" to.

I would post it if I wasn't a total ignoramus who has not figured out how to do that yet. Maybe later.

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I don’t think that is the same one. It was right across the street from the water but I am almost positive it was a different one.

Mine was leveled except for a section of the central counter and a few booth benches.

So I guess the Waffle House measure has some validity since apparently at least two were destroyed.

I grew up on that coast so have people there. They told me it was a sign of hope to see the Waffle Houses rebuild and reopen. Needless to say, the places became de facto community centers.

and I have heard of it in past storms. I suppose whatever information source works to provide data is worthwhile to give a look.

And their everywhere.

Good thinking fema.

and got a cheese and mushroom omelet, and it was the puffiest, fluffiest omelet I have ever had in my life. I have gone to a couple of other Waffle Houses on occasion, and they can't replicate that fluffy omelet. And i can't do it at home either.

Excuse me for being off topic, but decades later when I hear the words Waffle House, I see that chef cooking and flipping that great fluffy omelet, and miss having one.

like this;



Leave it running long enough and it will incorporate a huge amount of air into the eggs.

My whisk speed can't match that.

In my neck of the woods I'm used to seeing that type mixer seems to be used exclusively for making milk shakes and frappes, and the cook may have used one for eggs, but I didn't pay attention to his cooking at that time just the resulting omelet put in front of me with the grits.

Good food.

The only place we could find for hot food was a Waffle House on the east side of town at US 90 and I-10. They had a line waiting - something I'd never seen at a Waffle House. They only had two choices - hamburgers or a cold sandwich.

Some people don't know when they have it good, though. A family had waited in line for over 45 minutes, sat down and ignoring the posted signs, tried to order off the regular menu. They got pissed when the server couldn't provide it, argued with him until he told them they were wasting his time, and left.

I watched as they drove out of the lot and got on the interstate headed east where the eye of the storm had passed. They probably didn't find anything open until at least Jacksonville!

Right after they left, a convoy of ambulances got on the interstate headed the same way - at least twelve to fifteen. Maybe if that family had seen that, they would have been more reasonable.

Of course, there are no Waffle Houses in my neck-of-the-woods, but I've always enjoyed them on my trips South. Thanks for posting!

Holidays, etc, WH is open, so you would know, if they weren't open, things gotta be bad!

We sure could use some places like that around here. There's a great diner around here that offers breakfast all day, but now they close early. I'm always up for breakfast since I never make it for myself.