As a stats nerd, I love it when clever people make lives easier by finding clever, easy, indirect ways to estimate the thing they want to measure. As a statistics instructor, I find such examples engaging, as they encourage students to think critically and nurture their statistical literacy.  Like the Waffle Shop index. TL;DR: During weather emergencies, the federal government tracks whether or not Waffle Shops are open as a proxy for the severity of damage in a community. Waffle Shops are tough as hell, and if they close, a community needs help.  Below is a map of Waffle Houses. https://www.scrapehero.com/store/wp-content/uploads/maps/Waffle_House_USA.png Due to Hurricane Beryl, the people of Houston, Texas discovered an even more accurate measure the severity of electricity outages: The Whattaburger Index:   https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=8242206945824619&set=gm.2698315720337038&idorvanity=1416658058502817 Certainly, Waffle House exists in Texas. 126...