Silver Jackets: Many Agencies One Solution - Be Risk Aware
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Effective and continuous collaboration between state and federal agencies is critical to successfully reducing the risk of flooding and other natural disasters in the United States and enhancing response and recovery efforts when such events do occur. No single agency has all the answers, but often multiple programs can be leveraged to provide a cohesive solution.

The Silver Jackets is an innovative program that provides an opportunity to consistently bring together multiple state, federal, and sometimes tribal and local agencies to learn from one another and apply their knowledge to reduce risk. State agencies, including those of the State Hazard Mitigation Officer and State NFIP Coordinator, come together with the Federal family of agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in a common forum to address the state's flood risk management priorities. Silver Jacket programs are developed at the state level. There are currently 33 active state teams; the ultimate goal is to offer an interagency team in every state.

The program's primary goals are to:

  • Create or supplement a mechanism to collaboratively identify, prioritize, and address risk management issues and implement solutions
  • Increase and improve risk communication through a unified interagency effort
  • Leverage information and resources and provide access to such national programs as FEMA's Risk Mapping, Assessment, and Planning (Risk MAP) program and USACE's Levee Inventory and Assessment Initiative
  • Provide focused, coordinated hazard mitigation assistance in implementing high-priority actions such as those identified by state mitigation plans
  • Identify gaps among agency programs and/or barriers to implementation, such as conflicting agency policies or authorities, and provide recommendations for addressing these issues.

Why the name Silver Jackets? Traditionally, different agencies wear different colored jackets when responding to emergencies. For example, FEMA personnel wear blue and USACE personnel wear red. The name Silver Jackets is used to underscore the common mission of the diverse agencies involved.

Silver Jackets Newsletter

 

2012 Workshop
2011 Workshop

New!

For advice from successful state teams visit the Develop a Team page.
Virginia Silver Jackets Brochure (pdf, 1.27 MB)
Brochure Template (pub, 12.9 MB)

Webinars Supporting Flood Risk Management

  • Natural Hazard Mitigation Association’s Resilient Neighbors Network — February 2013
  • RiskMAP and North Carolina's Digital Vision — July 2012
  • FloodSmart Provides Flood Awareness Tools — July 2012
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Revised 15 Febuary 2013
Photo of 1913 Flood

Flooding at Dayton along the Miami River.

Newsworthy…The Flood of 1913 - Remembered 100 Years Later

The Silver Jackets teams of Ohio and Indiana, with support from the Midwest Regional Climate Center, have launched a Silver Jackets Flood of 1913 website.You are leaving a Federal Government web site. Click icon for more information. The web site is packed with historical information, as well as current-day tips on flood preparedness, mitigation, and more.

Public outcry after the landmark Flood of 1913 event helped drive the creation of many of the federal, state, and local flood prevention and education efforts we rely on today. In the continual spirit of collaboration, the Silver Jackets teams including member from federal, state, and local agencies have worked on state-initiated flood preparedness, warning, and response projects including the Silver Jackets commemoration of the Flood of 1913.

Check out the recent announcement from NWS. The Flood of 1913 - Remembered 100 Years Later (Indianapolis NWS) This link leaves this site for another Federal Government web site.

 

Photo of 1913 Flood Poster

Martial law established at Dayton as a precaution against looting. As seen in: "Our National Calamity of Fire, Flood, and Tornado" by Logan Marshall, 1913. L. T. Myers publisher. These floods caused 527 deaths, the U.S. record for the 20th Century.