FEMA has coined a “Waffle House Index” to indicate the severity of a disaster.

Source: www.marketplace.org

A proxy variable is an easily measurable variable that is used in place of a variable that cannot be measured or is difficult to measure. The proxy variable can be something that is not of any great interest itself, but has a close correlation with the variable of interest.  So if you can’t order waffles after a big storm at Waffle House might not matter in the big scheme of things, but as this podcast demonstrates, it is a good indicator that the region has been serious impacted by a natural disaster–they are the canary in the coal mine that FEMA is using to help plan their relief efforts.  This is in part because Waffle House’s core area is in the South and is has a wide spatial network.

   

Tags: disasters, statistics, the South, regions, podcast.