Someone used AI (Artificial Intelligence, not short for Albert) to generate an image of a closed Waffle House with the windows boarded up. The first thing I noticed was the plywood on the inside, not the outside, of the windows which defeats the purpose and it’s not just the windows but also the walls. If you were covering your windows to prevent storm damage, you would not also removed the signage, side the building with OSB, then replace the lettering. I noticed the tables and chairs left outside and the odd yellow stop sign but didn’t say anything. Others have pointed out that you can see the lights through the plywood and I must admit to missing that little detail.

The Waffle House Index is real and while that’s not an official metric used by FEMA, they do use it as a rule of thumb. Several cities in Florida and Georgia saw all Waffle House locations close as Hurricane Helene approached. Perhaps North Carolina received the most damage and loss of life of the six states most affected by Helene. This is a once-in-a-lifetime level event. One helicopter pilot compared the damage and aftermath to Katrina but in the mountains. Instead of boats they airlifting food and water into places like Asheville that were flooded and left cut off from the outside world by all land routes. There were 226 confirmed fatalities (across the six states affected) but there are still thousands without power or access to drinkable water. One bit of good news: According to the Asheville Police Department, 270 of the 300 people reported missing have been alive and well.