Denny’s is a great indicator of just how rough your night has become

• Neighbors Go
• This might be a Category 1.

In the midst of the discussion concerning Hurricane Irene, The Wall Street Journal snuck in a new metric for measuring the severity of a storm — the Waffle House Index. In the piece, Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate explained that whether a Waffle House is open and serving its full menu can be an indicator of just how hard an area was hit and the recovery effort that will be required.

Now while I neither want to lampoon the seriousness of a storm or such a respectable metric, the idea of using a restaurant chain to gauge things is inspiring. As a result, I’ve put together a list of how Denny’s can predict exactly the kind of night you’re having.