The Silver Jackets is an innovative program that brings together multiple state, federal and sometimes tribal and local agencies, to learn from each other and jointly apply resources to reduce flood risk.
The Silver Jacket’s program mission is to reduce flood risk within the Commonwealth by identifying and resolving flood hazards through flood observation and warning systems, planning, flood hazard mapping, flood hazard mitigation, dams as well as flood response and recovery activities.
Visit the official website.
Participating agencies:
Virginia Department of Emergency Management
VDEM provedes emergency planning technical assistance, flood observation and warning information, disaster recovery assistance, and mitigation planning and project development.
Virginia Department of Conservation & Recreation
DCR’s Dam Safety & Floodplain Management Division protects life and property from the effects of natural and man-made flooding through the regulation dams and through floodplain management assistance, which allows localities to meet the requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program.
National Weather Service
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provides weather, hydrologic, and climate forecasts and warnings for the protection of life and property. Flood services include river forecasts, flood watches and warnings, flood inundation maps and extended stream-flow prediction through the NWS's Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Services webpage.
Federal Emergency Management Agency
FEMA supports citizens and first responders to ensure the national can build, sustain, and improve its capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. Virginia falls within the jurisdiction of FEMA Region III.
Natural Resources Conservation Service
The United States Department of Agriculture’s NRCS provides the Emergency Watershed Protection Program, which provides assistance to communities to relieve imminent hazards to life and property created by a natural disaster. NRCS also purchases of floodplain easements and participates in the Dam Rehabilitation Program for dams built with NRCS assistance.
United States Geological Survey
USGS provides real-time stream-flow and water level data that is used to help predict flood timing and magnitude at numerous locations throughout Virginia. Within the Silver Jackets program, the USGS is provides flood inundation mapping science resources to help build more resilient communities.