Silver Jackets teams across the United States bring together agencies from different levels of government to reduce flood risk. Through regular meetings and collaborative projects, team members learn about their agencies’ programs and apply their shared knowledge to enhance flood preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery.
Silver Jackets teams include representatives from agencies with missions in hazard mitigation, emergency management, floodplain management, and natural resources conservation. Each state has its own Silver Jackets team. State agencies with roles in and responsibilities for flood risk management participate in and determine the priorities for their state’s team. Indian Nations may form their own Silver Jackets teams and/or participate in state teams. Federal agencies represented on Silver Jackets teams include the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Weather Service, U.S. Geological Survey, Natural Resource Conservation Service, and others. Representatives from county and municipal government, research institutions, and non-profit organizations may also be invited to participate.
Occasionally, Silver Jackets teams address related natural hazards, like drought and wildfire, in addition to flooding.
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 a single team of diverse agencies working together to reduce flood risk at the state level.
Silver Jackets Program Goals
- Facilitate strategic life-cycle flood risk reduction.
- Create or supplement a continuous mechanism to collaboratively solve state-prioritized issues and implement or recommend those solutions.
- Improve processes, identifying and resolving gaps and preventing duplication of effort.
- Leverage and optimize resources.
- Improve and increase flood risk communication and present a unified interagency message.
- Establish close relationships to facilitate integrated post-disaster recovery solutions.
The New Jersey Silver Jackets team is focused on developing strong intergovernmental partnerships that result in comprehensive and sustainable solutions to flood hazards in New Jersey. The team’s goals include information sharing; project development, prioritization, and coordination; improving programs, policies, and processes; and education and outreach.
For More Information, Please Contact
Jason Miller, Philadelphia District, Jason.F.Miller@usace.army.mil
Evan Nelson, New York District, Evan.M.Nelson@usace.army.mil
Participating Agencies
State
- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
- New Jersey State Police Division Office of Emergency Management
- Delaware River Basin Commission
Federal
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Philadelphia and New York districts (USACE)
- Federal Emergency Management Agency – Region 2 (FEMA)
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/ National Weather Service – Eastern Region, Pennsylvania/Mt Holly office, and Mid Atlantic River Forecast Center (NOAA/NWS)
- U.S. Geological Survey – New Jersey Water Science Center (USGS)
- U.S. Department of Agriculture / Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA/NRCS)
Recent Projects
- Passaic River Basin Flood Inundation Map Libraries
- Passaic River Basin Unsteady Modeling for Forecast Improvements
- Saddle and Peckman Rivers Forecast Improvements and Flood Inundation Map Libraries
- Cumberland County Nonstructural Flood Proofing Outreach
- Lincoln Park, NJ Post-Acquisition Floodplain Restoration Planning
- Aggregation of Flood Information at Stream Gages
- Raritan River North and South Branch Flood Inundation Map Libraries