Was That Fake? - 'Waffle House Index'

Was That Fake?

Did millions of water bottles never make it to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria? Images of them sitting on a runway are showing up all over the internet. A CBS journalist claims FEMA says the government of Puerto Rico took the bottles but seemingly never distributed them. The images are real and as to why the water has not been distributed yet is not known. 

Was That Fake?

Are hurricane shelters required to accept pets? This was a major concern during Hurricane Harvey with many people unwilling to leave their animals out in the elements while they sought shelter. FEMA actually has a website page specifically for hurricane rumors where it states there is not a requirement that hurricane shelters accept pets, although service animals are always welcome.

Was That Fake?

People are talking about the FEMA "Waffle House index" and despite it sounding fake, it appears to be legitimate. Waffle House is like Walt Disney World in that when its locations close, you know a storm system is a real threat. Someone at the agency developed a way to track storms based on Waffle House location closures, but with that person no longer in FEMA, it is uncertain whether that index is still in use.