Waffle House Shut Down 30 Restaurants as Hurricane Michael Hammered Florida | Eater

"An Atlanta-based diner chain famous for operating 24/7/365 and for normally staying open through severe weather; it preemptively closed 30 locations as Hurricane Michael approached the Gulf Coast, a notable response given the storm made landfall in the Florida panhandle as a Category 4 with 155 mph sustained winds and a 919 mb minimum pressure, making it one of the most intense U.S. hurricanes. The chain’s operational status is informally used by FEMA as a quick gauge of disaster severity, and it previously temporarily shuttered more than 40 locations ahead of Category 4 Hurricane Matthew in October 2016." - Chris Fuhrmeister