Waffle House Rises From Hurricane Michael Like A Syrupy Phoenix

PANAMA CITY, FL – The coffee is brewing Thursday morning at a Panama City Waffle House that grabbed national headlines after it was forced to close because of Hurricane Michael. The restaurant at 17110 Panama City Beach Pkwy is expected to open around 9 a.m., server Kathy Askew told Patch.

"This is the first time it's ever closed. It was just for a day," said Askew, who has worked at the restaurant four years.

Calls placed to Panama City Waffle House restaurants at 631 W. 15th St. and 10327 Front Beach Rd. at 8: 40 a.m. were unanswered

DEVASTATING: More Than 350,000 Without Power In Florida

Aside from the news coverage Askew's Waffle House received from the likes of USA Today and CBS, the restaurant was used as a barometer on social media for just how bad Hurricane Michael was.

"#HurricaneMichael is legit people. The @WaffleHouse in Panama City Beach, Florida is now closed," Florida news anchor Mark Arum tweeted Wednesday along with a sign posted on Waffle House's window.

"As @WCraigFugate knows, this is ominous...h/t @ojrw Waffle House closed in Panama City...I am not being trivial #WaffleHouseIndex is used as an indicator because they are considered almost weatherproof #HurricaneMichael," atmospheric sciences professor Marshall Shepherd tweeted.

Hurricane Michael continues to weaken over Georgia with winds increasing over portions of the Georgia and South Carolina coasts, the National Weather Service reported Thursday morning. A storm surge watch is in effect and means there is a possibility of life-threatening inundation from rising water moving inland from the coastline.

As of 7 p.m. Wednesday, one man in Gadsden County was killed after a tree fell on him, the Associated Press reported.

More than 340,000 homes and businesses remain without power in Florida as of Thursday morning.

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Hurricane Michael: FL Governor Activates 750 National Guardsmen
Hurricane Michael: Airports Close; Airlines Cancel Flights
Hurricane Michael: Tampa Bay Won't Escape Impacts
As Hurricane Michael Nears, Gov. Will Still Join Trump In Orlando

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